Noun

(en-plural noun)

(derogatory, slang) People who unquestioningly accept as true whatever their political leaders say or who adopt popular opinion as their own without scrutiny.

* 2005 Sept. 11, Glen Justice and John Files, " Commemoration or Promotion? Walk Highlights Iraq Divide," New York Times (retrieved 21 Aug 2014):

War protesters . . . did appear along Mr. Rumsfeld's path carrying signs saying "Bush is a Liar" and "Wake Up, Sheeple ".

* 2009 Aug. 27, Aaron Wherry, " The Commons: You bore us, Mr. Ignatieff," Macleans (Canada) (retrieved 21 Aug 2014):

[F]ormer MP Garth Turner’s new book . . . is entitled Sheeple , a term apparently applied to people who often take on the characteristics—curly white hair covering most of the body, fondness for grazing, tendency to do as told—of sheep.

* 2010 Aug. 20, Richard Adams, " The American far-right's top 10 paranoid conspiracy theories (photo caption)," Guardian (UK) (retrieved 21 Aug 2014)

Harmless vapour trails left by planes? That's what they want you to think, sheeple .

Noun

(head)

(obsolete)

* {{quote-book, year=1591, author=Edmund Spenser, title=The Poetical Works of Edmund Spenser, Volume 5, chapter=, edition= citation

, passage="Gladly," said he, "what ever such like paine Ye put on me, I will the same sustaine: But gladliest I of your fleecie sheepe' (Might it you please) would take on me the keep. 290 For ere that unto armes I me betooke, Unto my fathers '''sheepe''' I usde to looke, That yet the skill thereof I have not loste: Thereto right well this curdog, by my coste, (Meaning the Foxe,) will serve my ' sheepe to gather, And drive to follow after their belwether." }}

* {{quote-book, year=1598, author=Richard Hakluyt, title=The Principal Navigations, Voyages, Traffiques, and Discoveries of The English Nation, Vol. XII., America, Part I., chapter=, edition= citation

, passage=The grasse and herbe doth fat sheepe' in very short space, proued by English marchants which haue caried ' sheepe thither for fresh victuall and had them raised exceeding fat in lesse then three weekes. }}

* {{quote-book, year=1756, author=Prosper Paleologus Constantine, title=Sir John Constantine, chapter=, edition= citation

, passage=Nay, Number it selfe in Armies importeth not much where the People is of weake courage: For (as Virgil saith) It never troubles a Wolfe, how many the sheepe be." }}

* {{quote-book, year=1850, author=Various, title=Notes and Queries, Number 59, December 14, 1850, chapter=, edition= citation

, passage=Hen. VIII. (Black letter), in Bodleian Library, occurs:-- "There was two men of _Gottam , and the one of them was going to the market to Nottingham to buy sheepe , and the other came from the market; and both met together upon Nottingham bridge. }}

* {{quote-book, year=1594, author=Richard Barnfield, title=The Affectionate Shepherd, chapter=, edition= citation

, passage=And when th'art wearie of thy keeping sheepe Upon a lovely downe, to please thy minde, Ile give thee fine ruffe-footed doves to keepe, And pretie pidgeons of another kinde: A robbin-redbrest shall thy minstrell bee, Chirping thee sweet and pleasant melodie. }}

* {{quote-book, year=1880, author=Richard Jefferies, title=Round About a Great Estate, chapter=, edition= citation

, passage=So, too, He leared his sheepe as he him list When he would whistle in his fist; and the shepherd still guides and encourages his sheep by whistling. }}

* {{quote-book, year=1905, author=George Chapman, title=Bussy D'Ambois and The Revenge of Bussy D'Ambois, chapter=, edition= citation

, passage=They will make a sheepe valiant, a lion fearefull. }}

* {{quote-book, year=1504, author=Nicholas Udall, title=Roister Doister, chapter=, edition= citation

, passage=And haue ye cattell too? and sheepe too? }}