sheet
noun · verb
Simple meaning
A flat, thin piece of paper used for writing or other purposes
Pronunciation
Say it like this:
sheetIPA pronunciation (US)
ʃit
IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) is a standard way of writing speech sounds.
Definition
Everyday modern meanings first, grouped by part of speech.
noun
A thin bed cloth used as a covering for a mattress or as a layer over the sleeper.
“Use the sheets in the hall closet to make the bed.”
A thin, flat layer of solid material.
“A sheet of that new silicon stuff is as good as a sheet of tinfoil to keep food from sticking in the baking pan.”
A broad, flat expanse of a material on a surface.
A piece of paper, usually rectangular, that has been prepared for writing, artwork, drafting, wrapping, manufacture of packaging (boxes, envelopes, etc.), and for other uses. The word does not include scraps and irregular small pieces destined to be recycled, used for stuffing or cushioning or paper mache, etc.
“A sheet of paper measuring eight and one-half inches wide by eleven inches high is a popular item in commerce.”
A flat metal pan, often without raised edge, used for baking.
“Place the rolls on the cookie sheet, edges touching, and bake for 10-11 minutes.”
Precipitation of such quantity and force as to resemble a thin, virtually solid wall.
verb
To cover or wrap with cloth, or paper, or other similar material.
“Remember to sheet the floor before you start painting.”
Of rain, or other precipitation, to pour heavily.
“We couldn't go out because the rain was sheeting down all day long.”
To form into sheets.
Word at a Glance
- Difficulty
- A2 · Elementary
- Frequency
- Very Common
- Typical Use
- Everyday English
Word Aura™
How this word commonly comes across.
Aura for this meaning
This meaning: A thin bed cloth used as a covering for a mattress or as a layer over the sleeper.
Used this way, sheet is a common word that usually carries little praise or criticism of its own. It usually sounds natural in a wide range of settings.
“Use the sheets in the hall closet to make the bed.”
- Emotional tone
- Neutral
- Formality
- Neutral
- Intensity
- Not strongly marked
- How common
- Common
- Connotation
- Matter-of-fact
- Usage feel
- Neutral and straightforward
Usage note
It most often appears in the pattern “sheet in …”, which is worth copying when you use it.
Nearby words
- bed sheet , rarer, so it draws attention
Natural pattern: sheet in …
Word Aura describes common impressions, not a measurement. Tone changes with sentence, speaker, relationship and situation.
How It’s Used
The word’s distinct uses, one example each.
Thin / broadnoun
“Use the sheets in the hall closet to make the bed.”
Papernoun
“A sheet of paper measuring eight and one-half inches wide by eleven inches high is a popular item in commerce.”
Flatnoun
“Place the rolls on the cookie sheet, edges touching, and bake for 10-11 minutes.”
Coververb
“Remember to sheet the floor before you start painting.”
More ways to use sheet
- “Use the sheets in the hall closet to make the bed.”noun
- “A sheet of paper measuring eight and one-half inches wide by eleven inches high is a popular item in commerce.”noun
- “Place the rolls on the cookie sheet, edges touching, and bake for 10-11 minutes.”noun
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Common Patterns and Combinations
How this word naturally appears with others.
Word Family
Related forms, grouped by how they connect.
Inflected forms
Grammatical variations of the same word.
Fabric from which bed sheets are made.
Compound terms
Established multiword terms.
Glass formed into large thin sheets.
Plate iron thinner than tank iron.
Lightning that appears as a broad sheet.
Sheet of metal formed into a thin plate.
The craft of doing sheet metal work (as in ventilation systems).
A musical composition in printed or written form.
More about this wordSynonyms, forms, origin
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Dictionary data from Wiktionary via the Free Dictionary API (CC BY-SA 3.0). Simple meanings, combinations and word intelligence are built from verified reference data, no AI is used to load this page.