sheep

[ sheep ]

noun

, plural sheep.

1. 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.
2. leather made from the skin of these animals.
3. a meek, unimaginative, or easily led person.

SHEEP

¹

abbreviation for

1. Sky High Earnings Expectations Possibly: applied to investments that appear to offer high returns but may be unreliable

sheep

²

/ ʃiːp /

noun

1. 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 ovine
2. Barbary sheep
   another name for aoudad
3. a meek or timid person, esp one without initiative
4. separate the sheep from the goats
   to pick out the members of any group who are superior in some respects

Derived Forms

• ˈsheepˌlike, adjective

Other Words From

• sheepless adjective
• sheeplike adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of sheep¹

before 900; Middle English; Old English (north) scēp; cognate with Dutch schaap, German Schaf

Word History and Origins

Origin of sheep¹

Old English sceap; related to Old Frisian skēp, Old Saxon scāp, Old High German scāf

Idioms and Phrases

Idioms

1. separate the sheep from the goats, to separate good people from bad or those intended for a specific end from unqualified people.

More idioms and phrases containing sheep

see black sheep ; hanged for a sheep ; separate the sheep from the goats ; wolf in sheep's clothing .

Example Sentences

No need to walk around muddy fields for authenticity: “That’s real sheep poo.”

From Los Angeles Times

She works at the Roslin Institute, where Dolly the Sheep was cloned nearly 30 years ago.

From BBC

The gene editing work at Roslin is led by its director, Prof Bruce Whitelaw, who was a scientist at the institute when Dolly the sheep was cloned.

From BBC

Berhane had veered off the usual mountain footpath because he had spotted his family’s sheep and goats grazing - and had gone over to stop them entering someone else’s plot of land.

From BBC

"Planning the sheep feed and all the running around in the trucks and things - it's a lot."

From BBC

Related Words

• darkness
• fog
• gloom
• mist
• puff
• smog
• smoke
• steam
• vapor
• veil