lamb

noun

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

Synonyms of lamb

• sheep
• angel
• innocent

Examples of lamb in a Sentence

She's as gentle as a lamb.

the new guys at football camp were lambs who hardly knew what awaited them

Recent Examples on the Web

His culinary minimalism comes through in my favorite dish at Bar Del Monte, slender lamb skewers called arrosticini, which begin with the delivery of a whole lamb to Pastan’s Mount Pleasant restaurant. —Elazar Sontag, Washington Post, 4 June 2026

Beef cheeks and tongues, Frenched racks of lamb, glistening hams, poulet de Bresse, and rabbits still with their heads, round eyes blinkless under long lashes frozen in the ice. —Literary Hub, 3 June 2026

Follow the lanterns towards the sandy alcove in the middle of the island to find Middle Eastern restaurant Cargo, where chunky lamb chops and freshly baked pita bread are prepped in a shipping container kitchen. —Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 1 June 2026

Garcia classics — refried lentils, duck albondigas, lamb neck consommé — return in a new, warm setting. —Bill Addison, Los Angeles Times, 30 May 2026

Word History

Etymology

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

First Known Use

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

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