lamb

1 of 3

noun (1)

ˈlam 

1

a

: 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

2

a

: a gentle or weak person

b

: dear, pet

c

: a person easily cheated or deceived especially in trading securities

3

a

: the flesh of a lamb used as food

b

: lambskin

lamblike

ˈlam-ˌlīk 

adjective

lamby

ˈla-mē 

adjective

Illustration of lamb

• 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 and rolled loin roast
• d patties and chopped roast
• e rib chops and crown roast
• f riblets and stew; and stuffed or rolled breast
• g shoulder roast and shoulder chops
• h neck slices
• i shanks
• j blade chops
• k arm chops

lamb

2 of 3

verb

lambed; lambing; lambs

intransitive verb

: to bring forth a lamb

transitive verb

1

: to bring forth (a lamb)

2

: to tend (ewes) at lambing time

lamber

ˈla-mər 

noun

lamber

3 of 3

noun (2)

lamb·​er ˈlamə(r) 

ˈlaam-

plural -s

1

: a person who tends ewes at lambing time

2

: a ewe that is lambing

Synonyms of lamb

Noun (1)

• sheep
• angel
• innocent

Examples of lamb in a Sentence

Noun (1)

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.

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Patients may then develop an allergy to red meat products such as beef, pork and lamb. — Omer Awan, Forbes.com, 23 June 2026

Dobbs even let her children get pet lambs. — Leigh Kiniry, CBS News, 18 June 2026

Verb

April is lambing season, the perfect time to visit Herriot Country. — Culture Critic, Los Angeles Times, 14 May 2026

Likewise, the lambing season, which traditionally represents renewal, starts out disastrously with the loss of several lambs under cruel circumstances. — Paula Cooper, CBS News, 5 May 2026

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

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

and Noun (2)

First Known Use

Noun (1)

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

Verb

1611, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense

Phrases Containing lamb

• lamb's ears
• lamb's lettuce
• lamb's-quarter
• lamb's wool
• like a lamb to the slaughter
• mutton dressed as lamb
• Persian lamb
• sacrificial lamb

Rhymes for lamb

• am
• bam
• cham
• clam
• damme
• damn
• dram
• flam
• fram
• gram
• ham
• jam

Kids Definition

lamb

1 of 2 noun

ˈlam 

1

a

: a young sheep especially less than one year old or without permanent teeth

b

: the flesh of a lamb used as food

2

: an innocent, weak, or gentle person

lamb

2 of 2 verb

: to give birth to a lamb

Biographical Definition

Lamb 1 of 3

biographical name (1)

ˈlam 

Charles 1775–1834 pseudonym Elia ˈe-lē-ə 

commonly ˈē-

English essayist and critic

Lamb

2 of 3

biographical name (2)

William 1779–1848 2nd Viscount Melbourne English statesman

Lamb

3 of 3

biographical name (3)

Willis Eugene 1913–2008 American physicist