any of numerous ruminant mammals of the genus Ovis, of the family Bovidae, closely related to the goats, especially O. aries, bred in a number of domesticated varieties.
leather made from the skin of these animals.
a meek, unimaginative, or easily led person.
any of various bovid mammals of the genus Ovis and related genera, esp O. aries ( domestic sheep ), having transversely ribbed horns and a narrow face. There are many breeds of domestic sheep, raised for their wool and for meat
another name for aoudad
a meek or timid person, esp one without initiative
to pick out the members of any group who are superior in some respects
before 900; Middle English; Old English (north) scēp; cognate with Dutch schaap, German Schaf
A sheep is a four-legged farm animal with a thick, wooly coat. Sheep are raised for this wool, as well as for meat, and they're known for their habit of staying close together in a flock. If you have a big flock of sheep, you might want to consider a herding dog or two to keep them in line. Have trouble falling asleep? Try counting sheep, a time-honored method of visualizing one sheep after another jumping over a fence, until you drift off. Sheep can also be used to describe people who never act independently and simply follow the crowd.
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
“It just sounds pretty boring,” he says, and pushes a jeering mob of brainless sheep to repeat whatever he says.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 30, 2026
While Magyar will only take office next month, his team has already held two rounds of talks with high-ranking EU officials as they look to bring black sheep Budapest back into the fold.
From Barron's • Apr. 29, 2026
Within the last week it has also emerged that another sheep carcass has been dumped in a roadside field near a GAA club in Augher, near Clogher.
From BBC • Apr. 19, 2026
Instead he went back home and tended sheep with his father.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 13, 2026
Soon after the sheep left, the humans decided that they didn’t trust the sheep to do its job—so they sent a dog after the sheep, with the same message.
From "Kwame Crashes the Underworld" by Craig Kofi Farmer
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
