Sleeve
/sliːv/noun
The part of a garment that covers all or part of the arm.
Did you know?The Old English form was *slēf*, and the word’s history is tied to the idea of something that wraps or encloses—proof that even clothing words can carry old, almost ritual ideas of concealment.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Germanic
PGmc
*slēubō / *slēubaz
“A covering, wrap, or loose hanging cloth”
Old English
OE
slēf
“A sleeve or covering for the arm”
Middle English
ME
sleve
“A sleeve of a garment”
Modern English
English
sleeve
“The part of a garment that covers the arm”