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sheet2

Pronunciation: /ʃiːt/
Nautical
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Definition of sheet

noun

  • 1a 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.

verb

[with object] (sheet something in/out)
  • make a sail more or less taut: notice also how he is sheeting in the sail you need to sheet it out considerably to slow down
  • (sheet something home) extend a sail by tightening the sheets so that the sail is set as flat as possible: the jib is sheeted home

Phrases

two (or three) sheets to the wind

informal drunk: he reclined, two sheets to the wind, his back propped against the wall

Origin:

Old English scēata 'lower corner of a sail', of Germanic origin; related to Old Norse skauti 'kerchief' (see also sheet1)

sheet in other Oxford dictionaries

Definition of sheet in the US English dictionary

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