lamb

1 of 2

noun

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
lamblike adjective
lamby adjective

Illustration of lamb

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 2

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 noun

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.
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
Animal rights advocates are asking Denver voters to shut down the lone slaughterhouse in Denver, a lamb processing facility owned by Superior Farms in the Globeville neighborhood. John Frank, Axios, 16 Oct. 2024 The over 100-year-old butcher shop offers cuts of lamb, pork, beef and veal alongside myriad sausages, plus a handful of bread products. Bradley Hohulin, The Indianapolis Star, 10 Oct. 2024
Verb
During lambing season, the smell of afterbirth left him with days of brain fog, fatigue, and joint aches. Sarah Zhang, The Atlantic, 7 Oct. 2024 Electric fences can keep bears, wolves and coyotes out of calving and lambing pastures. Ben Long, The Denver Post, 13 Feb. 2024 See all Example Sentences for lamb 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'lamb.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun

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

First Known Use

Noun

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

Verb

1611, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense

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

Dictionary Entries Near lamb

Cite this Entry

“Lamb.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/lamb. Accessed 31 Oct. 2024.

Kids Definition

lamb

1 of 2 noun
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)

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

More from Merriam-Webster on lamb

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