sheaf

noun

plural sheaves ˈshēvz How to pronounce sheaf (audio)
1
: a quantity of the stalks and ears of a cereal grass or sometimes other plant material bound together
2
: something resembling a sheaf of grain
a sheaf of papers
3
: a large amount or number
sheaflike adjective

Examples of sheaf in a Sentence

contends that casino gambling would generate a sheaf of social problems for the state
Recent Examples on the Web In a side room, a sheaf of poems, printed on edible paper, sat on a spotlighted pedestal. Anna Wiener, The New Yorker, 13 Nov. 2023 Harvard Hillel’s president, Jacob Miller, pushed a sheaf of examples across a table during an interview. Anemona Hartocollis, New York Times, 18 Oct. 2023 Arrange with wheat sheaves wrapped in satin ribbon for an elegant, natural touch. Southern Living Editors, Southern Living, 4 Sep. 2023 In their new paper, Fargues and Scholze prove that there’s always a way to match a coherent sheaf with an étale sheaf, and as a result there’s always a way to match a representation of a p-adic group with a representation of a Galois group. Quanta Magazine, 19 July 2021 That included the sequester, a sheaf of budget cuts enacted to settle a debt ceiling fight in 2011. Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 15 May 2023 Underneath it, a streak of white paint perfectly denotes a sheaf of white paper. Teju Cole, New York Times, 25 May 2023 One pedestrian tried to come through in January wearing a sheaf of tablets that looked like a pair of shorts. Nick Miroff, Washington Post, 9 Mar. 2023 On a cold evening in March, at a school board meeting in Oxford, Michigan, Buck Myre approached members with a sheaf of papers. Anna Clark, ProPublica, 14 May 2023 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'sheaf.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Middle English sheef, from Old English scēaf; akin to Old High German scoub sheaf, Russian chub forelock

First Known Use

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of sheaf was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near sheaf

Cite this Entry

“Sheaf.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sheaf. Accessed 30 Nov. 2023.

Kids Definition

sheaf

noun
plural sheaves ˈshēvz How to pronounce sheaf (audio)
1
: a bundle of stalks and ears of grain
2
: a group of things often fastened together and resembling a sheaf of grain
a sheaf of arrows
a sheaf of papers
sheaflike adjective

More from Merriam-Webster on sheaf

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