# sheet

Pronunciation: say "SHEET" US /ʃit/, UK /ʃiːt/

## Noun

1. A piece of thin cloth used to cover a mattress or to lie under while sleeping.
   - Simple: A large piece of thin cloth that you put on a bed.
   - _He tucked the sheet under the corners of the mattress._
   - _Fresh sheets smell wonderful after a day drying in the sun._
2. A rectangular piece of paper prepared for writing, drawing, drafting, wrapping, or making packaging, but not scraps or small pieces meant for recycling.
   - Simple: A flat, usually rectangular piece of paper for writing, drawing, or wrapping.
   - _He grabbed a fresh sheet of paper to sketch the diagram._
   - _The printer jammed after feeding only a few sheets._
3. A flat, thin expanse of solid material, whether a separate piece or a layer.
   - Simple: A thin, flat piece of hard material.
   - _A single sheet of glass formed the entire tabletop._
   - _The roof was covered with overlapping sheets of corrugated metal._
4. A broad, flat expanse or covering of a material spread across a surface.
   - Simple: A wide, flat layer of something spread over a surface.
   - _A thin sheet of water spread across the flooded road._
   - _Sheets of fog rolled in from the sea at dusk._
5. A flat metal pan, often without a raised edge, used for baking in an oven.
   - Simple: A flat metal pan used for baking, usually with no raised edges.
   - _Spread the dough evenly across the sheet before baking._
   - _Two sheets of biscuits cooled on the counter._
6. A wide expanse or stretch of something.
   - Simple: A wide stretch of something spread out.
   - _A sheet of flame engulfed the dry brush within seconds._
   - _Vast sheets of bluebells covered the forest floor._
7. Rain or other precipitation falling in such quantity and force that it resembles a thin, nearly solid wall.
   - Simple: Rain or snow so heavy and thick that it looks like a solid wall.
   - _The storm dropped a blinding sheet of rain over the highway._
   - _Sheets of sleet drove the crowd indoors._
11. A rope or line used to control the angle and tension of a sail.
   - Simple: A rope that controls how a sail is set on a boat.
   - _The crew trimmed the mainsail by hauling in the sheet._
   - _A sudden gust tore the sheet from his hands._
13. An extensive layer of igneous rock that intruded between or spread over other rock strata.
   - Simple: A wide, flat layer of hardened lava rock spread between or over other rock layers.
   - _The survey revealed a basalt sheet sandwiched between two layers of shale._
   - _Erosion exposed an igneous sheet stretching for miles across the plateau._
14. The marked strip of ice on which a game of curling is played.
   - Simple: The strip of ice where a game of curling is played.
   - _Four teams competed across two sheets at the local club._
   - _The skip studied the sheet before delivering the final stone._
15. A sail, especially the canvas spread to catch the wind and drive a vessel forward. *(nonstandard)*
   - Simple: A sail that catches the wind to move a boat.
   - _The schooner's sheets billowed against a bright sky._
   - _A torn sheet hung limp from the mast after the storm._
16. A thin layer of wood veneer applied as a surface covering. *(nonstandard)*
   - Simple: A thin layer of wood used to cover a surface.
   - _The cabinetmaker pressed a fresh sheet over the worn surface._
   - _Several sheets of walnut veneer were laid up to form the panel._
18. The space in the front or rear of a boat where there are no rowers.
   - Simple: The open space at the front or back of a boat where no one rows.
   - _The passengers settled into the stern sheet as the rowers took up their oars._
   - _Water pooled in the forward sheet during the crossing._
19. Euphemistic form of shit. *(slang)* — Euphemistic form of shit.
   - Simple: Euphemistic form of shit. A milder-sounding stand-in people use to avoid the rude word.
   - _Aw sheet, the deadline got moved up to tomorrow._
   - _He looked at the flat tire and just whispered, sheet._

## Verb

8. To put a covering of cloth, paper, or similar material around or over something.
   - Simple: To cover or wrap something in cloth, paper, or a similar material.
   - _Movers sheet the antiques carefully before loading the truck._
   - _The workers sheeted the scaffolding to contain the debris._
9. To form a material into thin, flat layers.
   - Simple: To press or shape a material into thin, flat layers.
   - _The factory sheets aluminum for use in cans._
   - _They sheet the molten glass on a bed of tin._
10. To pour down heavily, as rain does in a downpour.
   - Simple: To fall in heavy amounts, like very strong rain.
   - _Rain sheeted against the windows all through the night._
   - _When the clouds burst, the rain will sheet down in moments._
12. To trim a sail by hauling in or easing the line that controls it.
   - Simple: To adjust a sail by pulling on its rope.
   - _Crew members sheet the genoa hard as the boat turns upwind._
   - _You should sheet the mainsail in before the gust hits._

## Noun

17. A distinct level or stage within a video game that the player works through. *(dated)*
   - Simple: A single level or stage in a video game.
   - _Players had to memorize every trap to beat the final sheet._
   - _The arcade machine reset to the first sheet after a game over._

## Origin

**Meanings 1–18** — From Middle English schete, partly from Old English sċīete ("a sheet, a piece of linen cloth") and partly from Old English sċēata/sċēat ("a corner, angle; the lower corner of a sail"), all from Proto-Germanic *skautijǭ, *skautaz ("corner, wedge, lap"), ultimately from the Proto-Indo-European root *(s)kewd- ("to throw, shoot, rush"). It is related to Dutch schoot, German Schoß, Swedish sköt, and Icelandic skaut.
**Meaning 19** — A minced oath (a milder substitute) for "shit."

Source: DictionaryAI, https://dictionaryai.com/define/sheet (written from Wiktionary data, CC BY-SA 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/).