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to sheet

to sheet

1 8.0
To fall heavily in a wide stream, as rain or snow
  • verb
  • /ʃiːt/
translation icon : llover a cántaros
  • Daddy would take me out with him on winter nights to cut doughnuts in ice-sheeted parking lots.
  • sheeting rain
  • water sheeted

Examples

  • The clouds darkened during the day, and soon a low front appeared and sheeted across under the cumulus in long raked strips of black.

    Fiction book (2000)
  • Water sheeted up to either side, and she found herself hoping that at least one of Lo-Moth's employees had been in range.

    Fiction book (1990)
  • The sky split; rain began sheeting down.

    Fiction book (1995)
  • Someone had climbed out of it and was walking toward the entrance, the lit rain sheeting down behind him.

    Fiction book (1998)
  • By the time I leave to cash my bet nearly an hour later, it is sheeting rain on the clubhouse apron and the six of us are friends for life.

    Fiction book (2001)
  • Holding the stop sign, she stood exposed at the front, her straw-white hair glimmering in the heat waves sheeting off the pavement.

    Fiction book (1998)
  • I followed her up, pressed harder, and suddenly there was a warm liquid coming out of her, a great gout of something sheeting across my cheeks, down my chin, splashing onto the comforter.

    Fiction book (2002)
  • As the storm approached, rain started to sheet down, soaking everything in its path.

  • The heavy snow began to sheet down, covering the streets in a thick layer.

  • When the storm hit, hail began to sheet down relentlessly, creating a deafening sound on the roof.

Synonyms

to rain
vsto sheet
541 1.0

To fall from clouds as small drops of water

means a vigorous, continuous pouring rather than ordinary scattered drops
to stream
vsto sheet
18 3.4

To trail out in a long, flowing way behind something

describes a heavy falling flow focused on broad continuous downward motion
to bucket
vsto sheet
  • UK
1 8.4

To rain very heavily

is the neutral term for a wide, heavy continuous fall rather than informal speech
to bucket down
vsto sheet
  • UK
1 6.5

To rain very hard

lasts as a steady, wide uninterrupted flow instead of a short intense burst
to rain buckets
vsto sheet
  • Informal
1 5.6

To pour a lot of water from the sky

forms a steady, wide unbroken flow rather than merely large volume
sluicing
vsto sheet
7.3

Falling in a heavy, steady flow like strong rain

falls in a broad, uninterrupted layer rather than from a narrow opening

Antonyms

7 1.0

To rain very lightly with small drops falling slowly

Idioms

Do something new and not worry about past mistakes

Phrasal Verbs

Play music by following the written notes on the page

Compounds

balance sheet
  • Specialized
44 3.7

A document that shows what a company owns, what it owes, and its value on a date

rap sheet
  • Jargon
38 7.6

A police list of a person's arrests and convictions

A single flat piece of paper used for writing or printing

15 1.0

A large flat cloth that covers a mattress for sleeping

15 3.0

Printed pages with music notes used for playing a song

sheet metal
  • Specialized
9 3.4

Thin, flat pieces of metal used to make or cover things

9 1.6

A flat metal tray that you use to bake cookies in an oven

8 3.4

A small note with key facts to use for quick reference or during a test

style sheet
  • Specialized
3 3.7

A file that tells a web page how to look, for example fonts and colors

2 5.4

A written list of charges and arrests at a police station

2 2.0

A sheet with stretchy edges that fits tightly over a mattress and stays in place

2 2.5

A form to record the hours an employee works during a set time

lead sheet
  • Specialized
1 6.0

A piece of music that shows the tune, words, and chords

tear sheet
  • Jargon
1 7.1

A page from a magazine or newspaper you can easily remove and keep as proof

tip sheet
  • Literature
1 6.7

A short paper that gives advice and guesses about business, stocks, or horse racing

winding-sheet
  • Archaic
1 9.9

A cloth that people use to wrap a dead body for burial

A paper that has the questions for a test or exam

sheet piling
  • Specialized
1 7.0

A row of metal boards pushed into the ground to hold back soil or water

sheet bend
  • Jargon
1 8.4

A knot used to join one rope to another, even when they are different thicknesses

sheet glass
  • Specialized
1 3.7

Thin flat glass that is made in large sheets for windows and mirrors

sheet-metal work
  • Specialized
1 4.9

The job of shaping and joining thin metal sheets to make building parts like vents

weather sheet
  • Jargon
1 9.9

A rope or chain used to control the angle of a sail to the wind

3.1

A bed sheet with elastic corners that fits tightly over a mattress

deckle-edged sheet
  • Specialized
9.7

A sheet of paper with rough, uneven edges made by hand

dope sheet
  • Archaic
9.9

A paper that lists horse race results, odds and stats for betting

8.4

A short document that gives key facts and instructions for daily tasks

2.7

A large cloth used to cover furniture when not in use to protect it from dust

4.9

Looking at a company's money, debts, and owners' share to judge its financial health

flow sheet
  • Specialized
4.7

A diagram that shows the order of steps in a process, like a computer program or accounting system

6.8

A flap of cloth over a tent entrance that keeps out rain and insects

press sheet
  • Specialized
6.9

A large sheet of paper printed with many pages before cutting or folding

scratch sheet
  • Jargon
9.9

A paper that lists horses, race results and betting odds

A wide, soft flash that lights the sky from distant lightning behind clouds

sheet pile
  • Specialized
7.4

A long flat piece of metal, wood, or concrete driven into the ground to hold back soil and water

sheet anchor
  • Jargon
9.3

A spare anchor kept on a ship for use in an emergency

sheet iron
  • Specialized
4.8

A thin flat metal made by rolling or hammering used for roofs and building parts

6.8

A flat net of spider silk that hangs like a small hammock

A thin flat piece of silver metal used to make jewelry or small items

An outer surface on a building made from shiny silver metal sheets

A document listing rules for writers and editors to prepare text for publication

How Heavy

deluge
11 6.3
to sheet
1 8.0
to pour
588 1.0
to rain
541 1.0
to drizzle
7 1.0

Surface Forms

sheet infinitive
sheeting present participle
sheets third person singular
sheathed past
sheathed past participle

Etymology

To sheet in weather comes from the image of water moving like a wide flat 'sheet', so to sheet down means to fall in a heavy, even layer.