ewe

1 of 2

noun (1)

ˈyü 

in rural dialects also

ˈyō 

: the female of the sheep especially when mature

also : the female of various related animals

Ewe

2 of 2

noun (2)

ˈā-ˌwā 

ˈā-ˌvā

plural Ewe also Ewes

: a people of Ghana and Togo speaking a Kwa language

also : the language itself

Examples of ewe in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

My business with them is to take them out individually on little visits (my euphemism) for two or three weeks to various flocks of ewes. —The New Yorker, 4 Dec. 2023

Cloning from embryonic cells was already known to work; in 1995, Dr. Wilmut and his research partner, Keith Campbell, had swapped out the nuclei of two sheep embryos with those of two others, producing two identical ewes, Megan and Morag. —Amanda Holpuch, BostonGlobe.com, 12 Sep. 2023

The farm had once been filled with the sounds and smells of birthing lambs, milking ewes and making cheese. —Alisa Tang, Washington Post, 23 July 2023

For the third year in a row, the northern badlands population reached an all-time high of 347 sheep, which breaks down to 96 rams, 206 ewes, and 45 lambs. —Katie Hill, Outdoor Life, 8 June 2023

Four rams, 10 ewes, and four lambs watched me, less than 30 feet away. —Jim Kristofic, Travel + Leisure, 13 Apr. 2023

Yet creamy Serra da Estrela from the milk of ewes raised in Portugal’s loftiest mountain range; hard, pungent cow’s-milk cheeses made on the precipitous mid-Atlantic slopes of Sao Jorge island; or peppery Terrincho produced in remote Tras-os-Montes, remain largely unknown. —Paul Ames, CNN, 5 Mar. 2023

The barn has an assortment of animals for guests to interact with: 24 ewes, 32 lambs, two rams, chickens, a turkey, a horse named Tater, an adorable miniature donkey named Chip, and a handful of goats. —Jean Chen Smith, Travel + Leisure, 24 Feb. 2023

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

Middle English, from Old English ēowu; akin to Old High German ouwi ewe, Latin ovis sheep, Greek ois

Noun (2)

Ewe eβe, βe, a self-designation

First Known Use

Noun (1)

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined above

Noun (2)

1861, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing ewe

• ewe-neck

Kids Definition

ewe

noun

ˈyü 

: a female of the sheep or a related animal especially when mature

Medical Definition

ewe

noun

ˈyü  ˈyō 

: the female of the sheep especially when mature

also : the female of various related animals