sheep

American  

[sheep] / ʃip /

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.

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idioms

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

sheep ¹ British  

/ 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

2. another name for aoudad

3. a meek or timid person, esp one without initiative

4. to pick out the members of any group who are superior in some respects

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SHEEP ² British  

abbreviation

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

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sheep More Idioms  

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

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Other Word Forms

• sheepless adjective
• sheeplike adjective

Etymology

Origin of sheep

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

Explanation

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.

Example Sentences

The open pit is located in the Clark Mountains, which provide habitat for bighorn sheep and are estimated to harbor the second-highest density of rare plants of any of the state’s mountain ranges.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 15, 2026

As Brennan and his team left the airport in a convoy of Toyota SUVs, the rubble and wreckage from years of war marked the landscape of sand, brush and sheep herds.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 15, 2026

Under the Federal Hunting law, it will now be possible to hunt wolves in order to manage their populations and protect sheep and other livestock.

From BBC • Mar. 31, 2026

A heavy quiet hangs over Theofilou's farm in the absence of the bleats from the sheep and the tinkle of their bells.

From Barron's • Mar. 30, 2026

The place smelled real bad, a warmed-over stink of mothballs and something like sheep dip.

From "The Teacher’s Funeral" by Richard Peck

Related Words

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