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sleeve

n. · v.
US //ˈsɫiv// UK //slˈiːv// sleeve
  1. 1 clothing (n.)
    A2 Elementary

    the part of a shirt, jacket, or sweater that covers your arm.

    the part of a garment that covers the arm, varying in length from the shoulder to the wrist.

    Example

    He rolled up his sleeves before he started washing the dishes.

    Example

    The tailor suggested shortening the sleeves by half an inch to ensure the shirt cuffs sat perfectly against the wrist.

  2. 2 protective cover (n.)
    B1 Intermediate

    a thin cover used to protect an object, like a record or a coffee cup.

    a protective jacket or tubular casing designed to house or insulate an object.

    Example

    She carefully slid the vinyl record back into its paper sleeve.

    Example

    The barista handed him the hot latte with a cardboard sleeve to protect his fingers from the heat.
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  1. 3 arm tattoo (n.)
    C1 Advanced Informal

    a large tattoo or group of tattoos that covers a person's entire arm.

    a comprehensive tattoo or collection of tattoos that covers the entirety of a person's arm from shoulder to wrist.

    Example

    He spent over twenty hours in the studio finishing his floral sleeve.

    Example

    The artist specialised in black-and-grey realism, often spending months designing intricate full-arm sleeves for his clients.

  2. 4 mechanical lining (n.)
    C2 Proficiency Technical Science

    a tube-shaped piece used to line or protect a part of a machine.

    a tubular lining or covering designed to protect a mechanical shaft or provide a bearing surface.

    Example

    The mechanic replaced the worn sleeve in the engine's cylinder.

    Example

    The engineer specified a hardened steel sleeve to reduce friction and prevent premature wear on the rotating assembly.
  3. 5 to attach a sleeve (v.)
    C2 Proficiency Technical

    to put a sleeve onto a piece of clothing or a machine part.

    to fit or furnish with a sleeve; often used in manufacturing or technical repair contexts.

    Example

    The factory worker had to sleeve hundreds of cables every hour.

    Example

    The technician began to sleeve the damaged section of the pipe with a composite material to prevent further leaking.
Origin

From Middle English sleve, slefe, from Old English slīef and slīefe (“sleeve”). Cognate with Saterland Frisian Sleeuwe (“sleeve”), West Frisian slúf, Dutch sloof (“apron”), Low German sluve, dialectal German Schlaube. The Canadian sense of “measure smaller than a pint” is due to a former conflict between federal law and provincial law in British Columbia. According to federal law, a pint must be 20 imperial ounces (~568 ml), but according to provincial law at the time, the maximum individual serving size was 500 ml, so an individual portion could not be called a “pint” in British Columbia, and required a different term. The provincial law has been changed, allowing servings of up to 24 oz (~682 ml), but the term remains in use. The term sleeve itself for a cylindrical glass of beer is also found in the UK and Australia (as sleever), and may be due to stacked glasses resembling a sleeve.

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