sheet

sheet

sheet¹ [shēt]

n.

[ME schete < OE sceat, piece of cloth, lappet, region, akin to Ger schoss, lap, ON skaut, lappet: for prob. IE base see SHOOT]

1. a large, rectangular piece of cotton, linen, etc., used on a bed, usually in pairs, one under and one over the body

2.

a) a rectangular piece of paper, esp. one of a number of pieces cut to a definite, uniform size, as for use in writing, printing, etc.

b) a large piece of such paper with a number of pages printed on it, to be folded into a signature for binding into a book usually used in pl.

c) Informal a newspaper [a scandal sheet]

3. a broad, continuous surface, layer, or expanse, as of flame, water, ice, etc.

4. a broad, thin, usually rectangular piece of any material, as glass, plywood, metal, etc.

5. a flat baking pan [a cookie sheet]

6. Old Poet. a sail

7. Geol. any layer or deposit of rock, gravel, soil, ice, etc. that is broad in extent and comparatively thin

8. Philately

a) the unseparated stamps printed on a piece of paper by a single impression of a plate

b) PANE (sense 4a)

vt.

to cover or provide with, or form into, a sheet or sheets

adj.

in the form of a sheet [sheet iron]

sheetlike

adj.

sheet² [shēt]

n.

[ME shete, as if < OE sceata, lower corner of a sail (akin to SHEET¹) but actually short for sceatline, line attached to that part of a sail]

1. a rope or chain attached to a lower corner of a sail: it is shortened or slackened to control the set of the sail

2. [pl.] the spaces not occupied by thwarts, or cross seats, at the bow and stern of an open boat

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sheet home

to tighten the sheets of (a square sail) until it is set as flat as possible

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three sheets in the wind or three sheets to the wind

Slang very drunk