sheet
sheet — adjective
- sheetpositive
- sheetercomparative
- sheetestsuperlative
1. made into a thin, flat layer by passing through rollers or by being pressed flat
made into a thin, flat layer by passing through rollers or by being pressed flat.
The factory uses sheet copper to make roofing materials.
attributive noun: sheet copper / sheet steel / sheet plastic
Sheet dough is rolled out before being cut into biscuit shapes.
Vinícius ordered sheet aluminium from the supplier for the boat repair.
A machine presses the hot metal into a sheet form for storage.
文法句型
sheet + noun (e.g. sheet metal, sheet dough)
用法筆記
Almost always used before a noun (attributive position) to describe the form of a material. Does NOT describe things that naturally come in thin layers (paper, leaves), only materials made flat by a process.
常見錯誤
2. connected with the business or craft of producing or shaping metal that has been
connected with the business or craft of producing or shaping metal that has been pressed into thin, flat pieces.
Liang took a course in sheet metal fabrication at the technical college.
attributive: sheet metal + fabrication / worker / industry
The sheet metal industry employs thousands of workers in the region.
A sheet metal worker must know how to cut, bend, and join different alloys.
Noa joined a sheet metal apprenticeship programme after leaving school.
- metalworking
broader term covering all metal shaping, not just thin sheets
- fabrication
focuses on the assembly process rather than the material form
文法句型
sheet + noun (e.g. sheet metal worker, sheet metal industry)
用法筆記
Used only before nouns related to the metal-working trade. Unlike sense 1 (ROLLED FLAT), this sense does NOT describe the metal itself but the field of work around it.
常見錯誤
sheet — noun
- sheetsingular
- sheetsplural
1. a rectangular piece of fabric that you put on a bed so that you lie on top of it
a rectangular piece of fabric that you put on a bed so that you lie on top of it or under it for comfort and cleanliness.
Sana changed the sheets on all the beds before the guests arrived.
collocation: change the sheets
The hotel provides fresh cotton sheets and soft pillows for every room.
collocation: cotton sheets / fresh sheets
A fitted sheet stays in place because its corners have elastic bands sewn in.
Kofi pulled the sheet up to his chin when the room grew cold.
Trang bought a set of pale blue linen sheets for the spare bedroom.
- bed linen
more formal and covers sheets, pillowcases, and duvet covers collectively
- fitted sheet
specific type with elastic corners for the mattress
文法句型
sheet + of + fabric material (rare)
fitted sheet
flat sheet
用法筆記
Often used in the plural ('sheets') to refer to a matched pair — one fitted (bottom) sheet and one flat (top) sheet. A single 'sheet' by itself usually means the top flat sheet.
常見錯誤
2. a flat, broad piece of a material that is much thinner than it is wide or long,
a flat, broad piece of a material that is much thinner than it is wide or long, usually cut to a regular shape such as a rectangle.
The window was repaired with a new sheet of glass 4 millimetres thick.
pattern: sheet of + material (glass / metal / plastic)
Aaron cut a sheet of plywood into smaller pieces for the shelves.
A thin sheet of ice covered the puddles after the cold night.
Nora wrapped the sculpture in a sheet of plastic to protect it from dust.
The printer uses sheets of paper that measure thirty by forty centimetres.
文法句型
sheet of + material (glass/metal/plastic/wood)
用法筆記
Use 'sheet of [material]' for man-made materials (glass, metal, plastic) or natural layers (ice, rock). For liquids or granular substances, use 'layer' instead ('a layer of sand', NOT 'a sheet of sand').
3. a single piece of thin paper, usually of a standard size, that you can write, pr
a single piece of thin paper, usually of a standard size, that you can write, print, or draw on.
Evelyn tore a sheet of paper from her notebook and handed it to Faisal.
verb collocation: tear a sheet of paper
A standard A4 sheet is twenty-one centimetres wide by nearly thirty long.
The photocopier can print on both sides of a single sheet.
Ilan wrote the phone number on a blank sheet he found on the desk.
- piece of paper
less formal and more general; does not imply a standard size
- page
implies one side of a sheet, or a sheet that is part of a book or document
- leaf
formal or literary term for a sheet in a book
文法句型
sheet of paper
用法筆記
When referring to paper generally (uncountable), use 'paper' without an article: 'I need paper.' Use 'a sheet of paper' when counting individual pieces. This sense is narrower than sense 2 — it refers specifically to writing/printing paper, not any thin flat material.
常見錯誤
4. a single printed page that contains information, questions, or blank spaces to f
a single printed page that contains information, questions, or blank spaces to fill in, such as a test, a list, or a leaflet.
The teacher handed out an answer sheet for the maths quiz.
compound noun: answer sheet / data sheet / sign-up sheet
Each new volunteer received an information sheet about the project.
Aylin printed a sign-up sheet and pinned it to the notice board.
Please read the safety data sheet before using any cleaning products.
Mathieu checked his score on the results sheet posted outside the hall.
文法句型
answer sheet
data sheet
information sheet
sign-up sheet
用法筆記
Distinguish from sense 3 (PAPER): sense 3 is just any blank piece of paper, while sense 4 is a paper that already has content printed on it for a specific purpose. Common in office and school settings.
5. a broad, continuous area of something natural that spreads across a surface, esp
a broad, continuous area of something natural that spreads across a surface, especially something dramatic like fire, ice, or water.
A sheet of flame shot across the roof of the burning building.
pattern: sheet of flame / sheet of ice / sheet of water
The lake was covered with a smooth sheet of ice after the freeze.
Rain fell in a grey sheet that hid the mountains from view entirely.
Lava flowed down the slope in a glowing sheet several metres wide.
文法句型
sheet of + natural element (flame/ice/water)
用法筆記
Used for visual impact — the image is of something covering a large area smoothly and continuously, like a tablecloth spread flat. Often found in descriptive writing about weather, fire, or landscape.
6. a very large amount of rain falling all at once, so heavy that it looks like a s
a very large amount of rain falling all at once, so heavy that it looks like a solid wall or curtain of water.
Sheets of rain swept across the highway, forcing drivers to pull over.
pattern: sheets of rain (usually plural)
We ran for shelter when the rain began to fall in thick, grey sheets.
The monsoon brought sheets of rain that flooded the streets within an hour.
Ezra could barely see the house across the road through the sheets of rain.
文法句型
sheets of rain
用法筆記
Almost always used in the plural ('sheets of rain'). Unlike sense 5 (WIDE EXPANSE), which can describe a single continuous surface, this sense specifically describes rain falling heavily, creating a visual effect of multiple cascading curtains.
7. a broad rectangle of heavy fabric that is tied to a boat's mast and rigging to c
a broad rectangle of heavy fabric that is tied to a boat's mast and rigging to catch the wind and move the vessel forward.
The captain ordered the crew to raise the sheets as the wind picked up.
nautical term: raise the sheets
Kwame spent the afternoon mending a torn sheet on the mainsail.
A strong gust of wind ripped one of the sheets from its rigging.
The old fishing boat carried three sheets that could be raised or lowered quickly.
文法句型
raise the sheets
trim the sheets
用法筆記
In modern sailing, 'sheet' more commonly refers to the rope that controls the sail (see the nautical rejected addition). However, 'sheet' as a synonym for 'sail' still appears in traditional nautical language and in literature about sailing.
sheet — verb
- sheetpresent simple I / you / we / they
- sheets3rd person singular
- sheeting-ing form
- sheetedpast simple
1. to rain extremely heavily, with the water coming down in a continuous, thick mas
to rain extremely heavily, with the water coming down in a continuous, thick mass rather than individual drops.
It was sheeting down outside, so we stayed in the café for another hour.
impersonal 'it' construction: it is sheeting (down)
The rain sheeted off the roof and flooded the garden within minutes.
verb + preposition: sheet off / sheet down
Rain sheeted against the windows as the storm passed over the town.
It had been sheeting all night, and the river rose close to the bridge.
- pour
the most common alternative; 'pour' works with both 'it pours' and 'rain pours down'
- bucket down
informal British expression with the same meaning
- teem
formal or literary synonym for heavy rain
- drizzle
to rain lightly in very small drops
文法句型
it is sheeting (down)
用法筆記
Most common in British English. Often used with 'down' ('it is sheeting down'). This is an impersonal verb — the subject is always 'it' (for weather) or 'rain'. Do not use a person as the subject: ❌ 'The clouds sheeted.' ✅ 'The rain sheeted down.'
常見錯誤
2. to cover something completely with a protective layer of material, such as cloth
to cover something completely with a protective layer of material, such as cloth, plastic, or metal, as if putting a sheet over it.
The furniture was sheeted with white dust covers while the room was painted.
passive: be sheeted with [cover material]
Sahil sheeted the old car with a waterproof tarp before the winter came.
The ground was sheeted in a thin layer of frost by early morning.
Workers sheeted the scaffolding with heavy plastic to block the wind.
- uncover
to remove a covering layer
文法句型
sheet + object + with/in + covering material
be sheeted with/in
用法筆記
Often used in the passive voice ('was sheeted with'). Unlike the more common 'cover', 'sheet' emphasises the idea of using a single, large, flat covering that wraps or drapes over the object. The covering material is typically flexible (cloth, plastic, tarpaulin).