sheep

noun

ˈshēp 

plural sheep

often attributive

1

: any of various hollow-horned typically gregarious ruminant mammals (genus Ovis) related to the goats but stockier and lacking a beard in the male

specifically : one (O. aries) long domesticated especially for its flesh and wool

2

a

: a timid defenseless creature

b

: a timid docile person

especially : one easily influenced or led

3

: leather prepared from the skins of sheep : sheepskin

see also:

wolf in sheep's clothing

Synonyms of sheep

• innocent
• angel
• lamb

Examples of sheep in a Sentence

he came to see that the members of the cult were sheep who naively went along with whatever their leader dictated

Recent Examples on the Web

But every hour or so, a shuttle brings guests from the main property up a dirt road and past a sheep farm to the hotel’s private beach club. — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 13 Oct. 2026

Fields of solar panels blanket parts of Inner Mongolia, while the slender silhouettes of wind turbines spin above grazing sheep. — Simone McCarthy, CNN Money, 13 Oct. 2026

The very few people who live there work on sheep ranches, and in some areas the population density is as low as one-tenth of an inhabitant per square mile. — Jordan Salama, New Yorker, 12 Oct. 2026

Perhaps the only way to actually fight back, as the New Zealand sheep mascot incident illustrated, is to choose love, not hate. — Jon Blistein, Rolling Stone, 12 Oct. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Old English scēap; akin to Old High German scāf sheep

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing sheep

• aoudad sheep
• Barbary sheep
• bighorn sheep
• black sheep
• blue sheep
• Dall sheep
• Dall's sheep
• fat-tailed sheep
• mountain sheep
• Rocky Mountain sheep
• separate the sheep from the goats
• sheep fescue
• sheep ked
• sheep laurel
• sheep's eye
• sheep sorrel
• sheep walk
• wolf in sheep's clothing

Rhymes for sheep

• beep
• cheap
• creep
• deep
• heap
• jeep
• keep
• leap
• peep
• reap
• seep
• sleep

Kids Definition

sheep

noun

ˈshēp 

plural sheep

1

: any of various cud-chewing mammals that are stockier than the related goats and lack a beard in the male

especially : one raised for its wool, skin, or flesh

2

: a weak helpless person who is easily led