Part 318

Sheet" an"chor (?). [OE. scheten to shoot, AS. sceótan; cf. OE. shoot anchor. See Shoot, v. t.] 1. (Naut.) A large anchor stowed on shores outside the waist of a vessel; -- called also waist anchor. See the Note under Anchor.

2. Anything regarded as a sure support or dependence in danger; the best hope or refuge.

Sheet" ca"ble (?). (Naut.) The cable belonging to the sheet anchor.

Sheet" chain" (?). (Naut.) A chain sheet cable.

Sheet"ful (?), n.; pl. Sheetfuls (&?;). Enough to fill a sheet; as much as a sheet can hold.

Sheet"ing, n. 1. Cotton or linen cloth suitable for bed sheets. It is sometimes made of double width.

2. (Hydraul. Engin.) A lining of planks or boards (rarely of metal) for protecting an embankment.

3. The act or process of forming into sheets, or flat pieces; also, material made into sheets.

||Sheik (?), n. [Ar. sheikh, shaykh, a venerable old man, a chief, fr. ||shkha to grow or be old.] The head of an Arab family, or of a clan or ||a tribe; also, the chief magistrate of an Arab village. The name is ||also applied to Mohammedan ecclesiastics of a high grade. [Written ||also scheik, shaik, sheikh.]

{ Sheil (shl), Sheil"ing, } n. See Sheeling.

Shek"el (?), n. [Heb. shegel, fr. shgal to weigh.] 1. An ancient weight and coin used by the Jews and by other nations of the same stock.

A common estimate makes the shekel equal in weight to about 130 grains for gold, 224 grains for silver, and 450 grains for copper, and the approximate values of the coins are (gold) $5.00, (silver) 60 cents, and (copper half shekel), one and one half cents.

2. pl. A jocose term for money.

She*ki"nah (?), n. [Heb Talmud sheknh, fr. shkan to inhabit.] The visible majesty of the Divine Presence, especially when resting or dwelling between the cherubim on the mercy seat, in the Tabernacle, or in the Temple of Solomon; -- a term used in the Targums and by the later Jews, and adopted by Christians. [Written also Shechinah.] Dr. W. Smith (Bib. Dict.)

Sheld (?), a. [OE., fr. sheld a shield, probably in allusion to the ornamentation of shields. See Shield.] Variegated; spotted; speckled; piebald. [Prov. Eng.]

{ Sheld"a*fle (?), Sheld"a*ple (?), } n. [Perhaps for sheld dapple. Cf. Sheldrake.] (Zoöl.) A chaffinch. [Written also sheldapple, and shellapple.]

Sheld"fowl` (?), n. (Zoöl.) The common sheldrake. [Prov. Eng.]

Shel"drake` (?), n. [Sheld + drake.] 1. (Zoöl.) Any one of several species of large Old World ducks of the genus Tadorna and allied genera, especially the European and Asiatic species. (T. cornuta, or tadorna), which somewhat resembles a goose in form and habit, but breeds in burrows.

It has the head and neck greenish black, the breast, sides, and forward part of the back brown, the shoulders and middle of belly black, the speculum green, and the bill and frontal bright red. Called also shelduck, shellduck, sheldfowl, skeelduck, bergander, burrow duck, and links goose.

The Australian sheldrake (Tadorna radja) has the head, neck, breast, flanks, and wing coverts white, the upper part of the back and a band on the breast deep chestnut, and the back and tail black. The chestnut sheldrake of Australia (Casarca tadornoides) is varied with black and chestnut, and has a dark green head and neck. The ruddy sheldrake, or Braminy duck (C. rutila), and the white-winged sheldrake (C. leucoptera), are related Asiatic species.

2. Any one of the American mergansers.

The name is also loosely applied to other ducks, as the canvasback, and the shoveler.

Shel"duck` (?), n. [Sheld variegated + duck.] (Zoöl.) The sheldrake. [Written also shellduck.]

Shelf (?), n.; pl. Shelves (#). [OE. shelfe, schelfe, AS. scylfe; akin to G. schelfe, Icel. skjlf. In senses 2 & 3, perhaps a different word (cf. Shelve, v. i.).] 1. (Arch.) A flat tablet or ledge of any material set horizontally at a distance from the floor, to hold objects of use or ornament.

2. A sand bank in the sea, or a rock, or ledge of rocks, rendering the water shallow, and dangerous to ships.

On the tawny sands and shelves.

Milton.

On the secret shelves with fury cast.