sheet¹ / shēt/ • n. 1. a large rectangular piece of cotton or other fabric, used on a bed to cover the mattress and as a layer beneath blankets when these are used. ∎  used in comparisons to describe the pallor of a person who is ill or has had a shock: Are you OK? You're as white as a sheet. ∎  a broad flat piece of material such as metal or glass: the small pipe has been formed from a flat sheet of bronze.2. a rectangular piece of paper, esp. one of a standard size produced commercially and used for writing and printing on: a sheet of unmarked paper. ∎  a quantity of text or other information contained on such a piece of paper: he produced yet another sheet of figures. ∎  a flat piece of paper as opposed to a reel of continuous paper, the bound pages of a book, or a folded map. ∎  all the postage stamps printed on one piece of paper: a sheet of stamps. ∎  a map, esp. one part of a series covering a larger area.3. an extensive unbroken surface area of something: a sheet of ice. ∎  a broad moving mass of flames or water: the rain was still falling in sheets.• v. 1. [tr.] cover with or wrap in a sheet or sheets: we sheeted a narrow bed.2. [intr.] (of rain) fall in large quantities: rain sheeted down.sheet² Naut. • n. 1. a rope attached to the lower corner of a sail for securing or extending the sail or for altering its direction.2. (sheets) the space at the bow or stern of an open boat.• v. [tr.] (sheet something in/out) make a sail more or less taut. ∎  (sheet something home) extend a sail by tightening the sheets so that the sail is set as flat as possible.PHRASES: two (or three) sheets to the wind inf. drunk.

sheet1 broad piece of linen (etc.) covering OE. (as an article of bedding XIII); piece of paper or parchment for writing or printing on; broad expanse XVI. OE. (Angl.) sċēte, (WS.) sċïete, f. Gmc. *skaut- *skeut- *skut- (see SHOOT), One meaning of which is ‘project’. The unmutated stem is repr. by OE. sċēat corner, region, lap, bosom, skirt, cloth = MLG. schōt, (M)Du. schoot lap, sail-rope, OHG. scōz (G. schoss) skirt, lappet, lap, ON. skaut corner, quarter, skirt, bosom, sail-rope, Goth. skauts hem of garment, and the forms S. V. SHEET2.

sheet2 rope attached to lower (leeward) corner of a sail. XIV. repr. OE. sċēata lower corner of a sail, but used for scēatline (see LINE2) = MLG. schōtlīne (cf. ON. skautreip), prob. after ON. skaut or MLG., MDu. schōte, both in this sense. OE. sċeēata corr. to (M)LG. schōte, OHG. scoza skirt, ON. skauti kerchief; cf. SHEET1.

sheet in a white sheet dressed for formally doing penance, originally for fornication.

See also sing from the same hymn sheet, three sheets in the wind.