sheep
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sheep¹
- /ˈʃiːp/
- [ˈʃɪi̯p]
Rhymes with -iːp
Where it comes from
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”).
noun sheep · sheeps · shoop · sheepe
- A woolly ruminant of the genus Ovis. 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.
- A member of the domestic species Ovis aries, the most well-known species of Ovis.
-
A timid, shy person who is easily led by others.
Similar: lamb, ovine, introvert, mouse, recluse, shybie, wallflower, shrinking violet
- A religious adherent, a member of a congregation or religious community (compare flock). 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?
- Sheepskin leather.
- A person who is easily understood by a speech recognition system; contrasted with goat.
- A gullible person. She is a sheep who believed our lies, and we are the wolves who caught her.
sheep²
- /ˈʃiːp/
- [ˈʃɪi̯p]
Rhymes with -iːp
Thesaurus
Closest in meaning: ovine, lamb, ewe, shepherd, sheepmeat, pastor, herd, argali, mutton, livestock, goat, flock, horse, fold, black, mad
Translations
Every language
noun animal
| Español | carnero, oveja |
|---|---|
| 한국어 | 양 yang, 면양 myeonyang |
| 日本語 | 羊 hitsují, ヒツジ hitsuji, 綿羊 men'yō |
| 中文 | 綿羊 /绵羊 miányáng, 羊 yáng |
| हिन्दी | भेड़ bheṛ, मेष meṣ |
| Kiswahili | kondoo |
| Português | ovelha |
| Français | mouton |
| Deutsch | Schaf |
| Italiano | pecora |
| Ελληνικά | πρόβατο próvato |
| Română | oaie |
| Русский | овца́ ovcá, ове́чка ovéčka |
| Tiếng Việt | cừu |
| العربية | خَرُوف ḵarūf, ضَأْن ḍaʔn, غَنَم ḡanam, شاء šāʔ, حَمَل ḥamal |
| עברית | כֶּבֶשׂ kéves |
noun one who behaves shyly
| Español | pusilánime, papanatas, borrego |
|---|---|
| हिन्दी | शर्मीला मनुष्य śarmīlā manuṣya |
| Português | pusilânime, ovelha |
| Italiano | pecora |
| Ελληνικά | πρόβατο próvato |
| Русский | ове́чка ovéčka, ягнёнок jagnjónok, а́гнец ágnec |
| עברית | שֶׂה se |
Talk about this word "sheep." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/sheep. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026. sheep. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/sheep "sheep." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/sheep.Cite this
@misc{sheep_2026,
title = {sheep},
howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
year = {2026},
url = {https://micwyn.com/word/sheep},
urldate = {2026-11-06}
}
