What does sleeve mean?
A sleeve is a covering for the arm, particularly the part of a shirt, jacket, coat, or other garment that extends from the shoulder toward the wrist. The word also refers more broadly to a tubular or protective cover, as in the cardboard sleeve of a record or the cover placed around an electronic component. In clothing, sleeves may be short, long, fitted, loose, detachable, or rolled up, and expressions such as “rolled-up sleeves” suggest practical activity or readiness for work. The related verb “to sleeve” means to provide or fit something with a covering, though it is much less common than the noun. Overall, sleeve describes the outer layer that protects an arm or gives an object a protective and often decorative housing.
A covering for the arm, especially the part of a garment that covers the arm from the shoulder to the wrist.
"The child wore a woolen sweater with long sleeves."
Also used for a tubular or protective cover around an object.
To provide or fit something with a sleeve or protective covering.
"The technician sleeved the cable before installing it."
This use is relatively uncommon compared with the noun.
The plural refers to separate arm coverings, garment parts, or protective covers.
"The coat has two insulated sleeves."
From the arm's covering to the case of a record or disc, a sleeve is what gives an object its recognizable outer layer.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does sleeve come from?
The word is inherited from Old English, where “slēfe” referred to a garment covering for the arm. Its deeper history belongs to the Germanic languages, although the precise development of its modern sense and its relationship with various continental forms is not entirely straightforward. The modern spelling and pronunciation reflect the established English form rather than a recent coinage.
Related word forms
How sleeve is actually used
In everyday use, sleeve most often refers to the arm covering of a garment. The broader sense of a removable or protective cover is common for records, discs, cables, and similar objects; the verb is less frequent and often means to fit or place something inside such a cover.