sheet

1 of 5

noun (1)

ˈshēt 

1

a

: a broad piece of cloth

especially : bedsheet

b

: sail sense 1a(1)

2

a(1)

: a usually rectangular piece of paper

especially : one manufactured for printing

(2)

: a rectangular piece of heavy paper with a plant specimen mounted on it

an herbarium of 100,000 sheets

b

: a printed signature for a book especially before it has been folded, cut, or bound

—usually used in plural

c

: a newspaper, periodical, or occasional publication

a gossip sheet

d

: the unseparated postage stamps printed by one impression of a plate on a single piece of paper

also : a pane of stamps

3

: a broad stretch or surface of something

a sheet of ice

4

: a suspended or moving expanse (as of fire or rain)

5

a

: a portion of something that is thin in comparison to its length and breadth

b

: a flat baking pan of tinned metal

a cookie sheet

6

: a surface or part of a surface in which it is possible to pass from any one point of it to any other without leaving the surface

a hyperboloid of two sheets

sheetlike

ˈshēt-ˌlīk 

adjective

sheet

2 of 5

adjective

1

: rolled or spread out in a sheet

2

: of, relating to, or concerned with the making of sheet metal

sheet

3 of 5

verb (1)

sheeted; sheeting; sheets

transitive verb

1

: to cover with a sheet

floors sheeted with dust

2

: to furnish with sheets

3

: to form into sheets

intransitive verb

: to fall, spread, or flow in a sheet

the rain sheeted against the windows

sheeter noun

sheet

4 of 5

noun (2)

1

: a rope or chain that regulates the angle at which a sail is set in relation to the wind

2

sheets plural : the spaces at either end of an open boat not occupied by thwarts : foresheets and stern sheets together

sheet

5 of 5

verb (2)

sheeted; sheeting; sheets

transitive verb

: to move or set (a sail) by manipulation of a sheet

Phrases

three sheets in the wind or three sheets to the wind

: drunk sense 1a

sheet home

1

: to extend (a sail) and set as flat as possible by hauling upon the sheets

2

: to fix the responsibility for : bring home to one

Synonyms

Noun (1)

• breadth
• distance
• expanse
• expansion
• extent
• field
• length
• plain
• reach
• spread
• stretch
• waste

Verb (1)

• blanket
• carpet
• coat
• cover
• overlay
• overlie
• overspread

Examples of sheet in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

Some of the larger items that will be exempt from sales taxes include a portable generator with a sales price of $3,000 or less, a tarpaulin or another kind of waterproof sheeting with a sales price of $100 or below, and a ground anchor system totaling $100 or less. —Eden Villalovas, Washington Examiner, 28 Aug. 2023

Material: Polyethylene sheeting with EPS foam The 32 Best One-Piece Swimsuits for Women of 2023, Including Mindy Kaling's Pick Things to Consider Before Buying a Hot Tub Cover Cover Type There are a few types of hot tub covers available today, including hard covers, soft covers, and spa blankets. —Camryn Rabideau, Peoplemag, 14 Aug. 2023

Copper sheeting on its hull was peeling away, replaced with a carpet of barnacles and seaweed. —James Hagengruber, Smithsonian Magazine, 21 June 2023

The pack contains six different types of masks, ranging from hydrating and calming ones to sheet masks that tightens the looks of pores. —Nikhita Mahtani, CNN Underscored, 9 Sep. 2020

In contrast, actual snow tires are capable of safely gripping any surface a driver may encounter during the winter, from bare pavement, to sheet ice, and anything in between. —Wes Siler, Outside Online, 9 Mar. 2023

Can manufacturers have been relying more on imports of foreign can sheet. —Bob Tita, WSJ, 11 May 2022

Step 4Add green beans to sheet and toss to combine. —Kate Merker, Good Housekeeping, 14 Dec. 2022

The new plant will supply can sheet to Ball, which has opened four new can plants in recent years, with two more under construction. —Bob Tita, WSJ, 11 May 2022

Noun

Using a pencil, trace one end of the box onto the white sheet of paper. —John Tufts, The Indianapolis Star, 5 Apr. 2024

Shower daily before getting into bed and wash your bed sheets frequently. —Jacqueline Pinedo, Sacramento Bee, 5 Apr. 2024

Light will stream through the pinhole and project a crescent sun onto the white sheet of paper in the box. —Haadiza Ogwude, The Enquirer, 5 Apr. 2024

Every package has 24 rolls, each containing 300 sheets. —Amber Smith, Discover Magazine, 3 Apr. 2024

According to a recent Pew Research Center fact sheet, the median age in 2021 was 29.5, making Latinxs the youngest racial or ethnic group in the country. —Fidel Martinez, Los Angeles Times, 28 Mar. 2024

Place each piece of chicken between 2 sheets of wax paper, and pound to 1/8-inch thickness using a meat mallet or rolling pin. —Southern Living Test Kitchen, Southern Living, 22 Mar. 2024

Fold the sheets, then tuck them inside a pillowcase to create a more uniform look. —Dominique Fluker, Essence, 21 Mar. 2024

Give your living space a refresh beyond a deep cleaning with new bedding, like this lightweight sheets set and these plush pillows, and with new decor, like this artificial flower wreath that’s great for spring. —Clara McMahon, Peoplemag, 20 Mar. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

Middle English shete, from Old English scēte, scīete; akin to Old English scēat edge, Old High German scōz flap, skirt

Noun (2)

Middle English shete, from Old English scēata lower corner of a sail; akin to Old English scȳte sheet

First Known Use

Noun (1)

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

Adjective

1582, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb (1)

1606, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Noun (2)

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb (2)

1925, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing sheet

• baking sheet
• call sheet
• cheat sheet
• balance sheet
• clean sheet
• dust sheet
• letter sheet
• ice sheet
• fly sheet
• flow sheet
• sheet bend
• scratch sheet
• scandal sheet
• rap sheet
• pink sheet
• sheet lightning
• sheet metal
• sheet anchor
• short-sheet
• sheet pan
• sheet music
• stat sheet
• slip sheet
• tear sheet
• time sheet
• cookie sheet
• sheet glass
• crib sheet
• charge sheet
• sheet cake
• souvenir sheet
• winding-sheet
• sheet home

Kids Definition

sheet

1 of 3 noun

ˈshēt 

1

: a broad piece of cloth (as an article of bedding used next to the body)

2

a

: a usually rectangular piece of paper

b

: an unbound page of a book

—usually used in plural

c

: a newspaper, magazine, or occasional publication

a gossip sheet

d

: the unseparated postage stamps printed by one impression of a plate on a single piece of paper

also : pane sense 2

3

: a broad surface of something

a sheet of ice

4

: a portion of something that is thin in comparison to its length and width

a sheet of iron

sheetlike adjective

sheet

2 of 3 verb

: to cover with a sheet : shroud

sheet

3 of 3 noun

: a rope or chain that regulates the angle at which a sail is set in relation to the wind

Etymology

Noun

Old English scēte, scīete "broad piece of cloth, sheet"

Noun

Old English scēata "lower corner of a sail"

Medical Definition

sheet

noun

ˈshēt 

1

: a broad piece of cloth

especially : an oblong of usually cotton or linen cloth used as an article of bedding

2

: a portion of something that is thin in comparison to its length and breadth

a sheet of connective tissue