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View synonyms for sheep

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

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Derived Forms

  • ˈsheepˌlike, adjective

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Other Words From

  • sheepless adjective
  • sheeplike adjective

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Word History and Origins

Origin of sheep1

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

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Word History and Origins

Origin of sheep1

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

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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 .

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Example Sentences

You will find winding pasture for sheep and highland cattle.

I had to pause for sheep crossing the road, which is a common occurrence when driving through the Highlands of Scotland.

Farmers, fearing ISIS attacks, have left the city with their sheep.

He notes that on Naxos sheep have very large gallbladders, but on Euboea they do not.

The Ivy League and other top schools are producing no more than ‘excellent sheep,’ says William Deresiewicz.

A flock of weary sheep pattered along the road, barnward bound, heavy eyed and bleating softly.

Harry took his bed into the spare-room, and Black Sheep lay down to die.

The Griffin carried off one sheep a day from a German village, till a man came with a "falchion" and split the Griffin open.

A little corral for the sheep, and a rough shed for the pony, and the home was complete: far the prettiest home they had ever had.

And with these, and the society of Jane on board-wages, Black Sheep was left alone for a month.

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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.

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