Meanings
plural sheepfolds
- An enclosure for keeping sheep.
If civilized life had covered over the ancient verities, Dumuzi learns in his tragic death that the sheepfold is still there to reclaim him.
1981, William Irwin Thompson, The Time Falling Bodies Take to Light: Mythology, Sexuality and the Origins of Culture, London: Rider/Hutchinson & Co., page 180 - A flock of sheep.
We weep because the Lord’s sheepfold is guarded by wolves; we despair because truth gasps for breath amid lies.
2025 November 19, Vivian Ren (pseudonym), “The Weeping Believer: A Report from a Chinese Christian”, in Bitter Winter
Synonyms & antonyms
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Old Englishsċēapa falde
- Middle Englishshepefald
- Englishsheepfold
Inherited from Middle English shepefald, perhaps from Late Old English sċēapa falde (literally “sheep's fold”), equivalent to sheep + fold.
More words from Middle English, Old English
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Bulgarian коша́ра
- коша́ра (košára)enclosure
Chinese Mandarin 羊圈, 羊欄 /羊栏
- 羊圈 (yángjuàn)enclosure
- 羊欄 /羊栏 (yánglán)enclosure
- 羊群 (yángqún)flock of sheep
Czech ovčín
- ovčínenclosure
Dutch schapenstal, schaapskooi
- schapenstalenclosure
- schaapskooienclosure
Finnish lammaskarsina, lammaskatras
- lammaskarsinaenclosure
- lammaskatrasflock of sheep
French bergerie
- bergerieenclosure
German Schafstall, Schafhürde
- Schafstallenclosure
- Schafhürdeenclosure
Hungarian juhakol
- juhakolenclosure
Irish cró caorach
- cró caorachenclosure
Italian ovile, pecorile
- ovileenclosure
- pecorileenclosure
Japanese 羊小屋
- 羊小屋 (hitsujigoya)enclosure
Latin ovīle
- ovīleenclosure
Norwegian Bokmål sauefold, sauegard
- sauefoldenclosure
- sauegardenclosure
- saueinnhegningenclosure
- saueinngjerdingenclosure
Polish owczarnia, koszara
- owczarniaenclosure
- koszaraenclosure
- stadoflock of sheep
Portuguese aprisco, redil
- apriscoenclosure
- redilenclosure
Romanian stână, țarc
- stânăenclosure
- țarcenclosure
- oierieenclosure
Russian овча́рня, заго́н для ове́ц
- овча́рня (ovčárnja)enclosure
- заго́н для ове́ц (zagón dlja ovéc)enclosure
- коша́ра (košára)enclosure
Slovak ovčiareň, ovčinec
- ovčiareňenclosure
- ovčinecenclosure
Spanish aprisco, majada
- apriscoenclosure
- majadaenclosure
- redilenclosure
Swedish fårfålla
- fårfållaenclosure
Ukrainian коша́ра, вівча́рня
- коша́ра (košára)enclosure
- вівча́рня (vivčárnja)enclosure
Welsh corlan, defeity
- corlanenclosure
- defeityenclosure
Cite this entry
sheepfold. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/sheepfold
“sheepfold.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/sheepfold. Accessed November 2, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “sheepfold,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/sheepfold.
Source: sheepfold on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.