What does sheet mean?
A sheet is a thin, broad, usually flat piece of material. The word can refer to paper, metal, glass, cloth, or even a broad surface formed by snow, ice, or water. It also names a page or separate piece of paper, a piece of bed linen, and a printed page of musical notation. In sailing, a sheet is a rope used to control the tension of a sail. As a verb, “sheet” can mean to cover something with a sheet, while the informal expression “sheeting rain” describes heavy, continuous rainfall. Because “sheet” is defined primarily by shape and thinness rather than by material, it can describe many different substances and surfaces. Its flexibility makes it especially useful when precision about the substance matters less than describing a flat, extended object or layer.
A thin, broad, usually flat piece of material; a broad layer or expanse; a page of paper or music; a piece of bed linen; or a rope used to control a sail.
"The artist painted on a large sheet of paper fixed to the wall."
To cover or spread something with a sheet, or, informally, to fall or pour heavily.
"Snow sheeted the mountains overnight."
The regular plural is used for individual pieces of material, pages, layers, pieces of linen, and nautical ropes.
"She printed several sheets and arranged them on the table."
From a single sheet of paper to a vast sheet of ice, one English word covers an astonishing range of flat surfaces.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does sheet come from?
The word descends from Old English scēte, meaning “sheet” or “piece of cloth,” and ultimately from a Proto-Germanic root associated with splitting or dividing. It developed through the meanings of a separated piece of material and a flat layer. The related English words sheath, sheathe, shoot, and shot are associated with the same broad historical root in different semantic and grammatical developments.
Related word forms
How sheet is actually used
In formal nautical use, “sheet” refers to a rope attached to a sail and is related to the verb “sheat,” meaning to adjust or tighten a sail. The verb “sheet” meaning heavy rain is informal and chiefly used in expressions such as “sheeting rain.”
Easily confused with sheet
A sheet is a flat piece or layer of material, whereas sleet refers to small pieces of ice falling or lying on the ground.