What does "sheep" mean?
A woolly ruminant of the genus Ovis.
Sheep
/ʃiːp/ noun
noun ·Moderate ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A woolly ruminant of the genus Ovis.
- Grammar: sheep is listed as noun.
- Nearest alternatives: anal character, animal, antelope, ape.
- Useful contrasts: ibices.
- Usage evidence: Cheese is a solid food made from the milk of cows, goats, sheep, and other mammals.
How to use "sheep"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "sheep" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "sheep" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "sheep" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "sheep" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "sheep" is acting as noun in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "anal character" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "sheep", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 A woolly ruminant of the genus Ovis. countable
"There is much sad evidence, too, of the spoliation and dereliction of vanished industry: tips, slag-heaps and derelict colliery-screens among which the ubiquitous, nomad mountain sheep graze unconcernedly."
- 2 plural of shoop form-of, humorous, plural
- 3 woolly usually horned ruminant mammal related to the goat wordnet
- 4 A member of the domestic species Ovis aries, the most well-known species of Ovis. countable
- 5 a docile and vulnerable person who would rather follow than make an independent decision wordnet
Show 5 more definitions
- 6 A timid, shy person who is easily led by others. countable
- 7 a timid defenseless simpleton who is readily preyed upon wordnet
- 8 A religious adherent, a member of a congregation or religious community (compare flock). countable, plural
"1990, Dave Mustaine, "Holy Wars... The Punishment Due", Megadeth, Rust in Peace. And fools like me, who cross the sea and come to foreign lands / Ask the sheep, for their beliefs do you kill on God's command?"
- 9 Sheepskin leather. uncountable
- 10 A person who is easily understood by a speech recognition system; contrasted with goat. countable
Antonyms
Example
"Cheese is a solid food made from the milk of cows, goats, sheep, and other mammals."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "sheep"?
Common synonyms include: anal character, animal, antelope, ape, armadillo, assembly.
How do you use "sheep" in a sentence?
Cheese is a solid food made from the milk of cows, goats, sheep, and other mammals.
How do you pronounce "sheep"?
Pronounced /ʃiːp/.
Etymology
Inherited from Middle English schep, schepe, from Anglian Old English sċēp (West Saxon sċēap), from Proto-West Germanic *skāp, from Proto-Germanic *skēpą, of unknown origin. Perhaps from the same Scythian word (compare Ossetian цӕу (cæw, “goat”), Persian چپش (čapiš, “yearling goat”)) which was borrowed into Albanian as cjap, sqap (“buck”) and into Slavic (compare Polish cap). After Kroonen, *skēpą is instead from the root of Proto-Germanic *skabaną (“to scratch”) via Kluge's law. Cognates Cognate with Scots sheep (“sheep”), Yola sheep, zheep (“sheep”), North Frisian schep, schäip, Sjip (“sheep”), Saterland Frisian Schäip, Skäip (“sheep”), West Frisian skiep (“sheep”), Alemannic German Schaf, Schooff (“sheep”), Bavarian Schof, Schouf, Schåf (“sheep”), Dutch schaap (“sheep”), German Schaf (“sheep”), German Low German Schaap (“sheep”), Limburgish Schoëp, sjaop (“sheep”), Luxembourgish Schof (“sheep”), Vilamovian siöf (“sheep”), Yiddish שאָף (shof, “sheep”).