Sheep Meaning
Sheep Definition & Usage
A domesticated ruminant mammal (Ovis aries) with a woolly coat, typically raised for meat, milk, and wool.
Examples
- "The farmer kept a large flock of sheep on his land."
- "Sheep are often raised for their wool, which is used in textiles."
- "In the spring, the lambs were born and the sheep were moved to the hills."
- "A shepherd watches over his flock of sheep, guiding them to fresh pastures."
- "The wool of the sheep is carefully sheared every year to make sweaters and blankets."
A person who is easily led, obedient, or passive, often in a derogatory manner.
Examples
- "The politician’s supporters were just a bunch of sheep, following every word without question."
- "Don't be a sheep, think for yourself!"
- "She was accused of being a sheep in her workplace, always agreeing with whatever the boss said."
- "The group's leader didn’t realize they were all acting like sheep, blindly following his commands."
- "He had a habit of being a sheep, always copying his friends' decisions."
To act like a sheep; to follow others unquestioningly.
Examples
- "Sheepishly following the latest fashion trend, he bought the same shoes everyone else had."
- "Stop sheeping around and make your own decisions."
- "They all sheeped around the store, buying whatever the influencer recommended."
- "It’s not a good idea to sheep through life without questioning your choices."
- "He just sheeped along with the group, never thinking about what he really wanted."
Cultural Context
Sheep have played a significant role in agriculture for thousands of years. Their domestication began around 10,000 years ago in the Near East, and they are important sources of wool, meat, and milk. The imagery of sheep is often used in literature and popular culture to symbolize conformity or passivity, as in the phrase 'a sheep in wolf's clothing' or the derogatory term 'sheeple.'
The Flock and the Follower
Story
The Flock and the Follower
In a small village nestled between rolling hills, there was a boy named Tom who had never quite fit in with the other children. While they ran through the streets, loud and confident, Tom preferred the quiet fields where the sheep grazed. He spent hours watching the way they moved together, a tight-knit group, following the shepherd without question. One day, as he sat by the pasture, a friend named Ben came to join him. 'What’s so interesting about those sheep?' Ben asked. Tom smiled gently. 'They’re free, in their own way,' he replied, watching as the sheep moved to a new patch of grass. 'But they always follow the shepherd. They don’t think for themselves.' Ben frowned, understanding the subtle message. 'Like the people who follow the latest trends, right? Just like sheep.' Tom nodded, 'Exactly.' They both fell silent, watching the peaceful creatures that seemed so simple but carried deeper lessons about the world. Later that afternoon, as they walked back to the village, Tom couldn’t help but notice how many people were following the latest fashion without a second thought. Ben, with a thoughtful expression, muttered, 'We don’t want to be sheep, do we?' Tom grinned. 'No, we don’t.'
