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sheaf

(shēf)

n. pl. sheaves (shēvz)

1. A bundle of cut stalks of grain or similar plants bound with straw or twine.

2. A collection of items held or bound together: a sheaf of printouts.

3. An archer's quiver.

tr.v. sheafed, sheaf·ing, sheafs

To gather and bind into a bundle.

[Middle English sheef, from Old English scēaf.]

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

Indo-European Roots

Semitic Roots

The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.

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