n.1 the part of a garment that wholly or partly covers an arm.
2 the cover of a gramophone record.
3 a tube enclosing a rod or smaller tube.
4 a a wind-sock. b a drogue towed by an aircraft.
Phrases and idioms:
roll up one's sleeves prepare to fight or work. sleeve-board a small ironing-board for pressing sleeves. sleeve-coupling a tube for connecting shafts or pipes. sleeve-link a cuff-link. sleeve-note a descriptive note on a record-sleeve. sleeve-nut a long nut with right-hand and left-hand screw-threads for drawing together pipes or shafts conversely threaded. sleeve-valve a valve in the form of a cylinder with a sliding movement. up one's sleeve concealed but ready for use, in reserve.
Derivatives:
sleeved adj. (also in comb.). sleeveless adj.
Etymology: OE slefe, sliefe, slyf