sheepfold
2 synonyms for sheepfold, grouped by meaning and by how common each one is.
Noun — An enclosure built to keep sheep in.
Synonyms
Less common
Still standard English, but they carry more weight.
Rare, literary or technical
Precise, but they will stand out — check the sense before using one.
sheep pen
How to use sheepfold
The word patterns that sound natural to a native speaker.
build a sheepfold
wooden sheepfold
stone sheepfold
It's a plain, literal word with no negative or formal connotations.
Etymology
Sheepfold comes from the Middle English word shepefald, which may trace back to a Late Old English phrase meaning 'sheep's fold'. It is simply sheep joined to fold, the word for an enclosure.
Full origin of sheepfold →Frequently asked questions
What does sheepfold mean?
A sheepfold is an enclosure for keeping sheep, or, less often, the flock of sheep itself.
Is a sheepfold the same as a sheep pen?
Yes, in its main sense a sheepfold is essentially a sheep pen, an enclosure built to hold sheep.
Where does the word sheepfold come from?
It comes from Middle English shepefald, formed by joining sheep to fold, meaning an enclosure.
