Sheen, Fulton J(ohn) (b. May 8, 1895, El Paso, II. U.S.—d. Dec. 9, 1979, New York, N.Y.) U.S. religious leader. He attended parochial school and St. Viator College before being ordained to the priesthood in 1919. He pursued further studies in the U.S. and Belgium. He taught at Catho¬ lic University (Washington, D.C.) from 1926 to 1950. In 1930 he began his 22-year radio career on the program The Catholic Hour, with which he reached an estimated 4 million listeners. In 1951 he became a titular bishop, and he served as bishop of Rochester, N.Y. from 1966 to 1969. In the 1950s he began a weekly television series, Life Is Worth Living ; it was followed by two more series. He was also the author of numerous books. At his death he was one of the best-known clerics in the U.S.
sheep Ruminants (bovid genus Ovis) that have scent glands in the face and hind feet. Homs, if present, are more divergent than those of goats.
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1736 I sheep laurel ► Shelley
Species range from 80 to 400 lb (35 to 180 kg). The coat of wild species consists of outer hair underlain by wool. Sheep graze in flocks, prefer¬ ably on short, fine grasses and legumes. They have been domesticated from at least 5000 bc in the Middle East, Europe, and Central Asia. Most domesticated breeds produce fine wool; the few that produce only hair or coarse or long wool are generally raised for meat. The flesh of mature sheep is called mutton; that of immature sheep is called lamb.
sheep laurel or lambkill Open upright woody shrub ( Kalmia angus- tifolia ) of the heath family. Growing 1-4 ft (0.3—1.2 m) high, it has glossy, leathery, evergreen leaves and showy pink to rose flowers. Like other Kalmia species (including mountain laurel) and other members of the heath family, it contains a poison (andromedotoxin). In northwestern North America, where these plants occur, livestock (especially sheep) that graze on nonfertile soils of abandoned pastures and meadows may ingest enough of the plant to become poisoned, potentially fatally.
sheepdog In general, any dog breed developed to herd sheep; specifi¬ cally, the border collie. Most sheepdog breeds stand about 2 ft (60 cm) and weigh over 50 lbs (23 kg). The French briard has bushy brows and a long, waterproof coat. The Belgian sheepdog has long black hair and erect ears. The Hungarian puli has a coat of long ropelike cords. It stands 16-19 in. (41-48 cm) and weighs about 30 lbs (14 kg). See also Old Engush sheep¬ dog, Shetland sheepdog.
sheepshead Species ( Archosargus probatocephalus) of popular edible sport fish in the porgy family, common along southern North American Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico coasts. The species has inexplicably become very rare from New England to the Chesapeake Bay area, where it was once prevalent. Sheepsheads have a high forehead and a compressed silver body with wide, dark, vertical bands, most distinct in juveniles. The large flat teeth crush and grind crustaceans and hard-shelled mollusks. Adults are typically 2-2.5 ft (60-75 cm) long and weigh about 20 lbs (9 kg).
sheet See sill
sheet erosion Detachment of soil particles by raindrop impact and their removal downslope by water flowing overland as a sheet instead of in definite channels or rills. A more or less uniform layer of fine particles is removed from the entire surface of an area, sometimes resulting in an extensive loss of rich topsoil. Sheet erosion commonly occurs on recently plowed fields or on other sites having poorly consolidated soil material with scant vegetative cover.
Sheffield City and metropolitan borough (pop., 2001: 513,234), South Yorkshire, England. It is situated at the foot of the Pennines. An Anglo- Saxon village that became the site of a castle and parish church early in the 12th century, it has been known for its cutlery since medieval times. By 1700 it had a monopoly of the English cutlery trade, and it remains the centre of the industry today. It developed a steel industry from the mid-19th century, and several metallurgical innovations, including the process for making stainless steel, originated there. In 1568 Mary, Queen of Scots, was imprisoned in its Norman castle (now in ruins).
Sheffield plate Articles made of copper coated with silver by fusion. The technique was discovered c.
1742 by the Sheffield (Yorkshire,
Eng.) cutler Thomas Boulsover, who noted that the combination of fused silver and copper retained the ductil¬ ity of both metals and acted as one when manipulated. Other workshops in Britain, continental Europe, and North America also produced cook¬ ing and eating utensils of Sheffield plate. After the introduction of elec¬ troplating in 1840, production of Sheffield plate declined; by the 1870s it had all but disappeared.
Admired for its soft, glowing gray lustre, Sheffield-plate ware soon came to be prized and collected.
Sheherazade See Scheherazade
sheikh Vshek, 'shak\ or shaykh Among Arabic-speaking tribes, espe¬ cially Bedouin, the male head of the family, as well as of each succes¬ sively larger social unit making up the tribal structure. The sheikh is
generally assisted by an informal tribal council of male elders. Within the broader Arabic-speaking community, the word may also be used as a title or form of respectful address or to designate a religious authority. Its sig¬ nificance may vary from region to region.
Shekhina Vsho-ke-'na, sho-'ke-noV In Judaism, the worldly presence of God, sometimes conceived of as a divine light. It is said that the She¬ khina descended on the Tabernacle and on Solomon’s Temple, though it was one of the five things lacking in the Second Temple of Jerusalem. There is an affinity between the Shekhina and the Holy Spirit; though the two are not identical, both signify divine immanence, are associated with proph¬ ecy, can be lost due to sin, and are connected with the study of the Torah.
shelduck or sheldrake Any of several short-billed, somewhat goose¬ like, Old World ducks with long legs and an upright stance. They are smaller members of the duck tribe Tadornini (family Anatidae). The com¬ mon shelduck ( Tadorna tadorna ), of Europe and Asia, is black and white with a reddish chest band; the drake has a knob on his red bill. The ruddy shelduck ( Casarca ferruginea), ranging from northern Africa and Spain to Mongolia, is orangish, with a pale head and white wing patches. Drakes usually have melodious whistling calls and are aggressive. In North America, mergansers are sometimes called sheldrakes.
shelf fungus See bracket fungus
Shelikhov Vshe-li-.koft, Gulf of Russian Zaliv Shelikhova
\z3-T y if-'she-li-k3-v9\ Gulf, eastern Russia. Lying between the Siberian mainland and the Kamchatka Peninsula, it is an extension of the Sea of Okhotsk. It extends northward 420 mi (670 km) and has a maximum width of 185 mi (300 km). The tidal ranges in its northern bays are among the greatest in the world. It is closed by ice from December to May.
shell Artillery projectile, cartridge case, or shotgun cartridge. It origi¬ nated in the 15th century as a container for metal or stone shot, dispersed when the container burst after leaving the gun. Explosive shells, in use by the 16th century, were hollow cast-iron balls filled with gunpowder and lit by a fuse. Until the 18th century, such shells were used only in high- angle fire (including mortars). In the 19th century, shells were adopted for direct-fire artillery, notably in the form of shrapnel. Modern artillery shells consist of a casing (usually steel), a propelling charge, and a bursting charge; the propelling charge is ignited by a primer at the base of the shell and the bursting charge by a fuse in the nose. In rifle, pistol, and machine- gun ammunition, the word usually signifies the brass casing that contains the propulsive charge. In shotgun ammunition, the shell is the entire car¬ tridge, including shot, powder, primer, and case.