Sheets
/ʃiːts/
Definitions
5 meaningsA rectangular piece of cloth used on a bed to lie on and under.
/ʃiːts/
I washed the sheets and put them on the bed.
💡 Simply: Sheets are like the cozy blankets you sleep on top of and under on your bed! They keep you comfy and clean.
👶 For kids: Sheets are like big cloths that go on your bed to sleep on.
More Examples
The hotel room had fresh, clean sheets.
She prefers cotton sheets over synthetic ones.
How It's Used
"She changed the sheets on the bed."
"The hotel provides fresh sheets daily."
A thin, flat piece of paper or other material.
/ʃiːts/
The clerk handed me a sheet with the information.
💡 Simply: A sheet can also be a single piece of paper you write on, like when you do your homework or draw a picture.
👶 For kids: A sheet can also be a piece of paper!
More Examples
She tore a sheet from the notepad.
He printed the report on multiple sheets of paper.
How It's Used
"Please print these documents on A4 sheets."
"The artist sketched on sheets of drawing paper."
A large expanse of something.
/ʃiːts/
Sheets of flame erupted from the building.
💡 Simply: Sometimes a sheet can mean a big area of something, like when it rains really hard and you see sheets of rain coming down.
👶 For kids: A sheet can also be a big part of something!
More Examples
The storm brought sheets of rain and wind.
They saw vast sheets of ice.
How It's Used
"Sheets of rain were falling."
"Sheets of ice covered the road."
The ropes or lines used to control the angle of a sail to the wind.
/ʃiːts/
The lower corners of a sail on a boat or ship.
He trimmed the sheets to catch the wind.
💡 Simply: On a sailboat, the sheets are like the ropes that help the sail catch the wind and move the boat.
👶 For kids: On a boat, sheets are like the strings that hold the sails.
More Examples
The ship's sheets were well-maintained.
The captain instructed the crew to tighten the sheets.
How It's Used
"The sailor adjusted the sheets of the sail."
To cover with a sheet or sheets.
/ʃiːts/
They sheeted the body with a white cloth.
💡 Simply: To sheet something means to put a sheet over it, like covering your bed with sheets.
👶 For kids: To sheet is to put a sheet on something!
More Examples
The nurses sheeted the patient.
How It's Used
"She sheeted the bed with clean linens."
From Old English *scēat* (plural *scēata*), meaning 'cloth' or 'fold'. Related to the verb *scēotan* (to shoot, project). Evolved to refer specifically to bed linens and then to other flat, rectangular materials.
The use of 'sheets' to refer to bed linens dates back to the Middle Ages, when they were a luxury item. The meaning related to paper and other thin, flat materials developed later.
Memory tip
Think of a flat piece of cloth covering a bed - SHEET.
Word Origin
"cloth, fold"