sheave
English
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sheave¹
- /ʃiːv/
Rhymes with -iːv
Where it comes from
From Middle English, from a Germanic base akin to German Scheibe, late Old Norse skífa (“slice”), all ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *skey- (“to split”). For more see shive.
noun sheaves
- A wheel having a groove in the rim for a rope to work in, and set in a block, mast, or similar; the wheel of a pulley. To an exceptional degree the duties on these inclines have been passed on from father to son; many a boy has begun his working life in oiling the sheaves and, after passing through every grade, has reached the age of retirement in the responsible position of brakesman.
- A sliding scutcheon for covering a keyhole.
sheave²
- /ʃiːv/
Rhymes with -iːv
Where it comes from
See sheaf.
verb sheaves · sheaving · sheaved
- To gather and bind into a sheaf. From him did forty million serfs (...) receive Rich freeborn lifelong land, whereon to sheave Their country's harvest.
Translations
Talk about this word "sheave." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/sheave. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026. sheave. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/sheave "sheave." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/sheave.Cite this
@misc{sheave_2026,
title = {sheave},
howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
year = {2026},
url = {https://micwyn.com/word/sheave},
urldate = {2026-11-06}
}