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DictionarysheepWoolly farm animal
noun

sheep

SHEEP/ʃiːp/

A wool-bearing domestic farm animal.

The adult sheep stands on the pasture with its thick fleece visible.

One adult domestic sheep in three-quarter side view, with a thick cream-colored fleece, narrow face, horizontal ears and clearly visible cloven hooves, standing on a small patch of pasture.
Etymology
sheepOld Englishsheep

Old English sceap already named the animal, so the modern farm-animal sense preserves that meaning. Its deeper origin is unknown, leaving no secure descriptive image behind the name.

In context

Enhanced Public Domain144:11
the carcasses of 100 oxen and 300 sheep
1700s Satire: Jonathan Swift - Gulliver's Travels (Audiobook)

More examples

  • The farmer shears the sheep to collect their wool.
  • We watch a flock of sheep cross the field.
  • This cheese is made from sheep's milk.

Forms

sheep

Similar words

lamb
A young sheep rather than one of any age.
ewe
Specifically an adult female sheep, not any sheep.
ram
Specifically an adult male sheep, not any sheep.