sleeve

noun

ˈslēv 

plural sleeves

1

a

: a part of a garment covering an arm

b

: sleevelet

2

a

: a tubular part (such as a hollow axle or a bushing) designed to fit over another part

b

: an open-ended flat or tubular packaging or cover

especially : jacket sense 3c(2)

3

: a collection of tattoos or one large tattoo that covers the arm or leg

A tall and burly white man, he had a sleeve of tattoos on one arm …

—Michelle Goldberg

Tattoo artists explain exactly where to start, the types of designs that work well on arms, and how long a full sleeve might take.

—Allure

Conder has a horror and Halloween-themed leg sleeve, but for the most part, her tattoos are random designs pieced together.

—Kacie Goode

Not everyone in Brooklyn has a … sleeve tattoo …

—A. O. Scott

sleeved

ˈslēvd 

adjective

sleeveless

ˈslēv-ləs 

adjective

Phrases

on one's sleeve

: in an honest and open manner

—used with wear

wears his emotions on his sleeve

up one's sleeve

: held secretly in reserve

has a few tricks up her sleeve

Examples of sleeve in a Sentence

a shirt with long sleeves

The joint is covered with a metal sleeve.

Recent Examples on the Web

How gift card scam works Oftentimes, criminals will walk out of a store with a whole sleeve of gift cards from a display. —Matthew Adams, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 6 June 2025

Keep your drink sleeves odor-free, germ-free, and party-ready with these simple washing instructions. —Jolie Kerr, Better Homes & Gardens, 5 June 2025

The case's main section is a rectangular sleeve for the Switch 2's tablet. —Will Greenwald, PC Magazine, 4 June 2025

Each has a cardboard sleeve that lists the meal name, nutritional information, ingredient list, and heating instructions. —Alaina Chou, Bon Appetit Magazine, 3 June 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English sleve, going back to Old English slīefe (West Saxon), slēfe (Anglian), feminine weak noun, going back to a Germanic noun base *slaubj- (whence also East Frisian [Saterland] sleeuwe "sleeve," North Frisian [Mooring] sliiw), from a verbal root *slaub- seen also in Old English slēfan (weak verb) "to slip (clothes) on," Middle Dutch slōven "to roll up, strip off, slip over something," sloof "coat of rough cloth, habit," slove "cover, wrapper," regional German Schlaube "skin, peel (of fruit, etc.)," going back to Indo-European *slou̯b^h-, causative derivative of *sleu̯b^h- "move easily, slip," whence also Latin (with suffix *-re/o-ko-) lūbricus "slippery, difficult to hold"

Note: This Germanic etymon for "sleeve" is evidently of Anglo-Frisian date, judging by its appearance in North and East Frisian; in West Frisian it appears to have been replaced by Dutch mouw. —The postulation of *slou̯b^h- is based on the R. Lühr's hypothesis (see note at slip entry 5), though others appear to regard *slaub- as arising within Germanic, without positing an Indo-European base (thus Feist/Lehmann, A Gothic Etymological Dictionary; G. Kroonen, Etymological Dictionary of Proto-Germanic); thereby the verb *sleupan- "to creep, glide" (see slip entry 5) can be added to the above group of words, as well as Gothic afslaupjan "to strip off (a garment)," a causative with o-grade ablaut. Kroonen additionally cites also Old Frisian slēpan "to fasten, put (a noose around the neck)" and Old Saxon slōpian "to loosen." The putative Old English verb slīepan cited by Feist/Lehmann and Kroonen does not appear to exist, nor does slíefan cited by Lühr. Kroonen cites as a form comparative within Indo-European Lithuanian įslupti "to slip in" and Latvian šļupt "to glide out." For more Germanic nominal derivatives see slop entry 1.

First Known Use

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

Phrases Containing sleeve

• an ace up one's sleeve
• cap sleeve
• dolman sleeve
• flutter sleeve
• have/keep (something) up one's sleeve
• keeps a few tricks up his sleeve
• laugh up one's sleeve
• raglan sleeve
• sleeve notes
• wear one's heart on one's sleeve

Rhymes for sleeve

• breve
• cleave
• cleeve
• cleve
• eave
• eve
• grieve
• heave
• leave
• lieve
• neve
• reeve

Kids Definition

sleeve

noun

ˈslēv 

1

: the part of a garment covering the arm

2

: a part that fits over or around something like a sleeve

sleeved

ˈslēvd 

adjective

sleeveless

ˈslēv-ləs 

adjective