lamb

Meanings

1. 1nouncountable

   A young sheep, particularly one that is less than a year old.

   Grammar: Plural lambs: the lambs are born in spring.

   Patterns

   • a lamb in a field

   The newborn lamb stood up on shaky legs and found its mother.

   We watched the lambs play in the meadow.

   A lamb followed the farmer all the way to the gate.

2. 2noununcountable

   The flesh of a young sheep eaten as food.

   Grammar: No plural and no article: we ate lamb, not a lamb, when it means meat.

   Patterns

   • roast lamb
   • lamb with something

   We had roast lamb with mint sauce for Sunday dinner.

   She cooked a stew of lamb and root vegetables.

   The restaurant serves slow-cooked lamb with rice.

3. 3nouncountableinformalfigurative

   A gentle, innocent or easily led person, often spoken to kindly.

   Grammar: Often used as an affectionate form of address: poor lamb.

   Patterns

   • poor lamb
   • be as gentle as a lamb

   Poor lamb, you must be exhausted after that journey.

   He seemed like a lamb in meetings, but he was tough with rivals.

   She is a lamb with children and never loses her patience.

Word forms

Common combinations

roast lamb

Roast lamb is traditional at our spring celebration.

spring lamb

Spring lamb is tender and mild.

lamb chop

He ordered a lamb chop with potatoes.

gentle as a lamb

The big dog is as gentle as a lamb with the baby.

like a lamb to the slaughter

He walked into the interview like a lamb to the slaughter, unaware of the questions.

leg of lamb

We bought a leg of lamb for the family dinner.

Synonyms and how they differ

sheep

Sheep is the general word for the animal at any age, while lamb names only the young one.

yearling

Yearling is a young animal that is about a year old, so it is older than a lamb.

mutton

Mutton is the meat of an adult sheep, which is stronger in flavor than lamb.

Word family

lambing noun

the time when ewes give birth to lambs

lamb verb

to give birth to a lamb, said of a ewe

lambskin noun

the soft skin of a lamb used for clothing

lamblike adjective

gentle and meek like a lamb

Commonly confused: lamb or lam?

Practice

Make it your own

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