n.
Function: noun
Etymology: Middle English shete, from Old English sc ē ata lower corner of a sail; akin to Old English scy ̄ te sheet
Date: 13th century
1 : a rope or chain that regulates the angle at which a sail is set in relation to the wind
2 plural : the spaces at either end of an open boat not occupied by thwarts : foresheets and stern sheets together
– three sheets in the wind or three sheets to the wind : DRUNK 1A