1
a
: a broad piece of cloth
especially
: bedsheet
b
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
1
: rolled or spread out in a sheet
2
: of, relating to, or concerned with the making of sheet metal
sheeted; sheeting; sheets
1
: to cover with a sheet
floors sheeted with dust
2
: to furnish with sheets
3
: to form into sheets
: to fall, spread, or flow in a sheet
the rain sheeted against the windows
sheeter
noun
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
sheeted; sheeting; sheets
: to move or set (a sail) by manipulation of a sheet
Synonyms
Examples of sheet in a Sentence
Noun (1)
from the bow of our ship all we could see was an impenetrable sheet of fog
Verb (1)
dust sheeted the floors of the old, abandoned house
Recent Examples on the Web
The Sorenson Impact Institute, Forbes, 21 Oct. 2024
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
See all Example Sentences for sheet 
Verb
Failure to confront and anticipate social and environmental issues and their consequences is being sheeted back to boards and executives.
—The Sorenson Impact Institute, Forbes, 21 Oct. 2024
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
See all Example Sentences for sheet
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'sheet.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Dictionary Entries Near sheet
Cite this Entry
“Sheet.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sheet. Accessed 5 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
sheet
1 of 3 noun1
: 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
noun1
: 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
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