Sheep Definition

shēp

noun

Any of a wide variety of bovid ruminants, with horns in both sexes; esp., the domesticated sheep (Ovis aries), having heavy wool, edible flesh called mutton, and skin used in making leather, parchment, etc.

Webster's New World

Any of various wild ruminant mammals related to and resembling the domestic sheep, such as the aoudad, bighorn sheep, and mouflon.

American Heritage Medicine

Leather made from the skin of the sheep, as for bookbinding.

Webster's New World

A person who is meek, stupid, timid, submissive, etc.

Webster's New World

One who is easily swayed or led.

American Heritage

Synonyms:

Synonyms:
romeldale
lincoln
hogget
hoggerel
(young) lamb
(male) ram
(leader of the flock)bellwether
mutton
ewe
(castrated ram) wether
ovis-aries
teg
ovis
eanling
buck

Idioms, Phrasal Verbs Related to Sheep

make sheep's eyes at

Origin of Sheep

From Middle English sheep, scheep, schep, schepe, from Old English scÄ“ap, from Proto-Germanic *skÄ“pÄ… (compare West Frisian skiep, North Frisian schäip (in the Fering-Öömrang dialect, sjep; in the Sölring dialect, sjip; in the Heligoland dialect, skeap), Dutch schaap, German Schaf), beside *keppôn (compare Old Norse kjappi (“he-goat"), dialectal German Kippe (“newborn calf")), of unknown origin. Perhaps from the same Scythian word (compare Ossetian цӕу (cæw, “goat"), Persian چپش (čapiÅ¡, “yearling goat")) which was borrowed into Albanian as cjap, sqap (“he-goat") and into Slavic (compare Polish cap).

From Wiktionary
Middle English from Old English scēap

From American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition