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Definition of sleeve

sleeve

/sliːv/
sleeve
Plural:sleeves
•
Adjective:sleeved
•
Past Simple:sleeved
•
Past Participle:sleeved
•
Present Participle:sleeving
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sleeve Lexical Profile

sleeve Game Scores & Validity

• noun

1

The part of a garment that wholly or partly covers a person's arm.

Example

"She rolled up her sleeves before starting to wash the dishes."

2

A protective, tight-fitting cover or tubular part designed to fit over another object.

Example

"He carefully slid the vintage vinyl record back into its cardboard sleeve."

Synonyms
View all synonyms for sleeve

• verb

1

To provide or fit a garment or object with a sleeve, or to enclose within a protective tubular casing.

Example

"The technician sleeved the exposed electrical wires to prevent any risk of a short circuit."

Synonyms
View all synonyms for sleeve
Antonyms
View all antonyms for sleeve

• Rhymes for sleeve

• Nearby Words

sleepyheaded
sleet
sleety
sleeve
sleeved
sleeveless
sleigh

Word Origin & Etymology

From Middle English 'slefe', derived from Old English 'slīefe' or 'slēfe' (arm covering), related to the Old English verb 'slīefan' meaning 'to slip on'.

Usage Trend

Historical frequency of usage in published text.

180019102020
Data source: Google Books Ngram Viewer

Cite this Entry

Wordmom. (2026). Definition of Sleeve. In Wordmom Dictionary. Retrieved Nov 5, 2026, from https://wordmom.com/dictionary/sleeve
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