sleeve

noun

plural sleeves
1
a
: a part of a garment covering an arm
b
2
a
: a tubular part (such as a hollow axle or a bushing) designed to fit over another part
b
: an open-ended flat or tubular packaging or cover
especially : jacket sense 3c(2)
3
: a collection of tattoos or one large tattoo that covers the arm or leg
A tall and burly white man, he had a sleeve of tattoos on one arm …Michelle Goldberg
Tattoo artists explain exactly where to start, the types of designs that work well on arms, and how long a full sleeve might take.Allure
Conder has a horror and Halloween-themed leg sleeve, but for the most part, her tattoos are random designs pieced together.Kacie Goode
Not everyone in Brooklyn has a … sleeve tattooA. O. Scott
sleeved adjective
sleeveless adjective
Phrases
on one's sleeve
: in an honest and open manner
used with wear
wears his emotions on his sleeve
up one's sleeve
: held secretly in reserve
has a few tricks up her sleeve

Examples of sleeve in a Sentence

a shirt with long sleeves The joint is covered with a metal sleeve.
Recent Examples on the Web The puff sleeve is in full effect with this BTFBM Boho Shirt, a standout in the happiest floral pattern this side of Holland’s famous tulip fields. Kristine Solomon, Travel + Leisure, 19 Mar. 2024 Video footage of him taken the night of March 8 showed Strain wearing denim pants and a brown button-up shirt with dark short sleeves and a matching dark front pocket. Emily Mae Czachor, CBS News, 18 Mar. 2024 There’s always an element, a jacket or a train or a bell sleeve, that’s quite bird-like about her. Ingrid Schmidt, The Hollywood Reporter, 18 Mar. 2024 Or a massive orb of flowery-black and white fabric with sleeves trailing to the ground, look number 6 from Comme des Garçons spring 2023. Kristen Bateman, Vogue, 16 Mar. 2024 The dresses have ruffled sleeves and wooden buttons down the neckline, which give them a chic touch. Alicia Geigel, Southern Living, 16 Mar. 2024 The shoulders featured a cutout and feather trims at the cutouts and of her sleeves. Kerane Marcellus, Essence, 15 Mar. 2024 The V-neck wrap dress features cute ruffle short sleeves, an elastic high waist with a tie belt, and a pleated hem. Rachel Simon, Southern Living, 9 Mar. 2024 Think pretty florals, soft pastels, swingy and oversized silhouettes, puffy sleeves, and cutout details. Jamie Allison Sanders, Peoplemag, 7 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'sleeve.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Middle English sleve, going back to Old English slīefe (West Saxon), slēfe (Anglian), feminine weak noun, going back to a Germanic noun base *slaubj- (whence also East Frisian [Saterland] sleeuwe "sleeve," North Frisian [Mooring] sliiw), from a verbal root *slaub- seen also in Old English slēfan (weak verb) "to slip (clothes) on," Middle Dutch slōven "to roll up, strip off, slip over something," sloof "coat of rough cloth, habit," slove "cover, wrapper," regional German Schlaube "skin, peel (of fruit, etc.)," going back to Indo-European *slou̯bh-, causative derivative of *sleu̯bh- "move easily, slip," whence also Latin (with suffix *-re/o-ko-) lūbricus "slippery, difficult to hold"

Note: This Germanic etymon for "sleeve" is evidently of Anglo-Frisian date, judging by its appearance in North and East Frisian; in West Frisian it appears to have been replaced by Dutch mouw. —The postulation of *slou̯bh- is based on the R. Lühr's hypothesis (see note at slip entry 5), though others appear to regard *slaub- as arising within Germanic, without positing an Indo-European base (thus Feist/Lehmann, A Gothic Etymological Dictionary; G. Kroonen, Etymological Dictionary of Proto-Germanic); thereby the verb *sleupan- "to creep, glide" (see slip entry 5) can be added to the above group of words, as well as Gothic afslaupjan "to strip off (a garment)," a causative with o-grade ablaut. Kroonen additionally cites also Old Frisian slēpan "to fasten, put (a noose around the neck)" and Old Saxon slōpian "to loosen." The putative Old English verb slīepan cited by Feist/Lehmann and Kroonen does not appear to exist, nor does slíefan cited by Lühr. Kroonen cites as a form comparative within Indo-European Lithuanian įslupti "to slip in" and Latvian šļupt "to glide out." For more Germanic nominal derivatives see slop entry 1.

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of sleeve was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near sleeve

Cite this Entry

“Sleeve.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sleeve. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

sleeve

noun
1
: the part of a garment covering the arm
2
: a part that fits over or around something like a sleeve
sleeved adjective
sleeveless adjective

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