Bundles of grain or stalks of wheat tied together after harvest, or the metal wheels in a pulley system.
From Old English 'sceaf,' related to 'sheaf'; originally meant a bundle of anything tied together, and the pulley meaning comes from the wheel-like shape.
Medieval farmers' entire economic value was measured in sheaves—counting and storing them determined whether a village would survive the winter or starve, making harvest festivals incredibly important celebrations.
Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.