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lamb

noun
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\ ˈlam How to pronounce lamb (audio) \

Definition of lamb

 (Entry 1 of 5)

1a : a young sheep especially : one that is less than one year old or without permanent teeth
b : the young of various animals (such as the smaller antelopes) other than sheep
2a : a gentle or weak person
b : dear, pet
c : a person easily cheated or deceived especially in trading securities
3a : the flesh of a lamb used as food
b : lambskin

lamb

verb
lambed; lambing; lambs

Definition of lamb (Entry 2 of 5)

intransitive verb

: to bring forth a lamb

transitive verb

1 : to bring forth (a lamb)
2 : to tend (ewes) at lambing time

Lamb

biographical name (1)
\ ˈlam How to pronounce Lamb (audio) \

Definition of Lamb (Entry 3 of 5)

Charles 1775–1834 pseudonym Elia \ ˈe-​lē-​ə , commonly ˈē-​ \ English essayist and critic

Lamb

biographical name (2)

Definition of Lamb (Entry 4 of 5)

William 1779–1848 2nd Viscount Melbourne English statesman

Lamb

biographical name (3)

Definition of Lamb (Entry 5 of 5)

Willis Eugene 1913–2008 American physicist

Illustration of lamb

Illustration of lamb

Noun

lamb 3a: A wholesale cuts: 1 leg, 2 loin, 3 rack, 4 breast, 5 shank, 6 shoulder; B retail cuts: a leg, b sirloin chops and roast, c loin chops, rolled loin roast, d patties and chopped roast, e rib chops, crown roast, f riblets, stew, and stuffed or rolled breast, g shoulder roast, shoulder chops, h neck slices, i shanks, j blade chops, k arm chops

In the meaning defined above

Other Words from lamb Synonyms & Antonyms Example Sentences Learn More about lamb

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Other Words from lamb

Noun

lamblike \ ˈlam-​ˌlīk How to pronounce lamblike (audio) \ adjective
lamby \ ˈla-​mē How to pronounce lamby (audio) \ adjective

Verb

lamber \ ˈla-​mər How to pronounce lamber (audio) \ noun

Synonyms & Antonyms for lamb

Synonyms: Noun

Antonyms: Noun

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Examples of lamb in a Sentence

Noun She's as gentle as a lamb. the new guys at football camp were lambs who hardly knew what awaited them Verb The ewes will lamb soon.
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Recent Examples on the Web: Noun Beef and other ruminant meats like lamb produce much higher greenhouse gas emissions than other proteins like beans and nuts, and these emissions are major contributors to climate change. — Jenny Splitter / Photography Kelsey Mcclellan, Popular Mechanics, "Please Don't Call This Cultured Nugget "Lab Meat"," 20 Dec. 2019 Most fur-bearing animals have never been domesticated, which makes raising a fox for the trim of a parka inherently crueler than aborting a karakul lamb for a wool cap, animal rights activists say. — Glendale News-Press, "As California considers a fur ban, many in L.A. cling to their minks," 29 Aug. 2019 March 2019 is going out like a lamb, and also in a blaze of pink at the University of Washington, where the 80-plus-year-old cherry trees are putting on their annual show of blossoms. — Ellen Banner, The Seattle Times, "UW Quad is in the pink," 31 Mar. 2019 Burgers are all about the meat, so use them as an opportunity to experiment with flavorful, alternative options like lamb or duck. — Audrey Bruno, SELF, "How to Grind Your Own Meat Without a Meat Grinder," 12 Mar. 2019 This sustainable, community supported farm will feature some of the cutest baby animals around, from piglets to chicks and a lamb. — David Ferry, San Francisco Chronicle, "Agritourism helps make small farms viable," 17 Apr. 2018 From stuffed lamb and fish, to the giant pots of soups and rice, to the plates of lentils and other beans, there is no shortage of food to go around. — Washington Post, "Home-cooked food in Iraqi square brings protesters together," 15 Dec. 2019 In the evening, sip cocktails in the Copper Bar before sliding into a velvet banquette in the library/restaurant for local duck, lamb, and vegetables. — Susan O'keefe, National Geographic, "How to see the Virginia Piedmont? Just follow Thomas Jefferson," 29 Nov. 2019 Crispy tostadas topped with stewed lamb and crunchy lettuce, oozy enchiladas with the requisite rice and beans, and all the other delicious-looking Mexican dishes on the lunch counter’s Instagram feed. — Elyse Inamine, Bon Appétit, "Eating at This Denver Food Incubator Is Like Winning the Lunch Lottery," 8 Nov. 2019 Recent Examples on the Web: Verb Things are worse in lambing season when criminals can double or triple their takings. — The Economist, "From fly-tipping to sheep rustling, Britain’s cops crack down on rural crime," 25 July 2019 As the weather went from bad to worse, many farmers fell short on feed — particularly important now, a month before lambing season — and water supplies were cut off because of frozen pipes. — Ceylan Yeginsu, New York Times, "‘I’ve Never Seen Anything Like This’: Snow Brings Rural U.K. to a Halt," 6 Mar. 2018 This is accomplished by different diets (grain vs. a grain and hay diet) and lambing at different times of the year. — Amy Dewall Dadmun, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Change it up with lamb burgers on greens," 16 Sep. 2017 Coyotes can do a lot of damage, especially during the fall during lambing season. — Gabriel Thompson, Longreads, "Chasing the Harvest: ‘If You Want to Die, Stay at the Ranch’," 17 May 2017 Just across the North Carolina border in Virginia, Craig Rogers is deep into lambing season. — Kim Severson, New York Times, "Ham or Lamb? The Easter Choice May Be Changing," 11 Apr. 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'lamb.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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First Known Use of lamb

Noun

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb

1611, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense

History and Etymology for lamb

Noun

Middle English, from Old English; akin to Old High German lamb lamb

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Time Traveler for lamb

Time Traveler

The first known use of lamb was before the 12th century

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Statistics for lamb

Last Updated

5 Jan 2020

Cite this Entry

“Lamb.” The Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster Inc., https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/lamb. Accessed 18 January 2020.

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More Definitions for lamb

lamb

noun
How to pronounce Lamb (audio)

English Language Learners Definition of lamb

 (Entry 1 of 2)

: a young sheep
: the meat of a lamb
informal : an innocent, weak, or gentle person

lamb

verb

English Language Learners Definition of lamb (Entry 2 of 2)

of a sheep : to give birth to a lamb

See the full definition for lamb in the English Language Learners Dictionary

lamb

noun
\ ˈlam How to pronounce lamb (audio) \

Kids Definition of lamb

 (Entry 1 of 2)

1 : a young sheep usually less than one year old
2 : the meat of a lamb used as food

lamb

verb
lambed; lambing

Kids Definition of lamb (Entry 2 of 2)

: to give birth to a lamb The ewes will lamb next month.

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More from Merriam-Webster on lamb

Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for lamb

Rhyming Dictionary: Words that rhyme with lamb

Spanish Central: Translation of lamb

Nglish: Translation of lamb for Spanish Speakers

Britannica English: Translation of lamb for Arabic Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about lamb

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