sheaf – English noun declension

English noun forms of sheaf

Noun: sheaf
Singularsheaf
Pluralsheaves; sheafs

Sample Sentences

  • O, let me teach you how to knit again
  • This scattered corn into one mutual sheaf,
  • These broken limbs again into one body. [c. 1588–1593 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Lamentable Tragedy of Titus Andronicus”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act V, scene iii], line 70:]
  • And then in haste her bow'r she leaves,
  • With Thestylis to bind the sheaves;
  • Or if the earlier season lead
  • To the tann'd haycock in the mead. [1645, John Milton, L'Allegro:]
  • Ev’n while the Reaper fills his greedy hands, / And binds the golden Sheafs in brittle bands [1697, Virgil, “The First Book of the Georgics”, in John Dryden, transl., The Works of Virgil: Containing His Pastorals, Georgics, and Æneis. […], London: […] Jacob Tonson, […], →OCLC, page 60, lines 429–430:]
  • 'Tis not very long since there were Dwarfs at Jüne near Göttingen, who used to go into the fields and steal the sheaves of corn. [1850, Thomas Keightley, The Fairy Mythology, London: H.G. Bohn, page 222:]
  • a sheaf of paper
  • Bond reflected on the problem as he collected the sheaf of hundred thousand and then the sheaves of ten thousand franc notes. [1953, Ian Fleming, “The Secret Agent”, in Casino Royale, London: Pan Books, published 1955, page 8:]
  • Max found himself accepting an impressive sheaf of money, more than he had ever touched before, and the books were taken from him before he could think of another objection. [1953, Robert A. Heinlein, Starman Jones, page 45:]
  • Together the two men march up the aisle and mount the dais, and while Muspole shakes hands with the chairman and his lady, the major draws a sheaf of notes from a briefcase and lays them on the table. [1986, John le Carré, A Perfect Spy:]
  • The sheaf of arrows shook, and rattled in the case. [1700, John Dryden, Palamon and Arcite:]
  • Arrows were anciently made of reeds, afterwards of cornel wood, and occasionally of every species of wood: but according to Roger Ascham, ash was best; arrows were reckoned by sheaves, a sheaf consisted of twenty-four arrows. [1786, Francis Grose, A Treatise on Ancient Armour and Weapons, page 34:]

Etymology

1. From Middle English scheef, from Old English sċēaf, from Proto-West Germanic *skaub, from Proto-Germanic *skauba- (“sheaf”).
2. Cognates
3. Akin to West Frisian skeaf (“sheaf”), Dutch schoof (“sheaf”), German Schaub, Old Norse skauf (“a fox's tail”). Compare further Gothic 𐍃𐌺𐌿𐍆𐍄 (skuft, “hair of the head”), German Schopf (“tuft”). See: Middle English Nouns 'scheef', Dutch Nouns 'schoof', German Nouns 'Schaub', Gothic Nouns '𐍃𐌺𐌿𐍆𐍄', German Nouns 'Schopf'.

Verbs referencing "sheaf"

German Nouns Schopf.