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noun B1 Intermediate Common

lamb

LAM

Lamb (noun) means a young sheep. Example: “The lambs were still wobbly on their legs, only a day old.”

noun
1
A young sheep.
"The lambs were still wobbly on their legs, only a day old."
"Farmers check the fields at dawn during lambing season."
2
The meat of a young sheep, eaten as food.
"We had roast lamb with mint sauce for Sunday dinner."
3
A gentle, innocent, or easily-led person.
"He's a real lamb — he'd never say a harsh word to anyone."
verb
1
Of a sheep, to give birth.
"The ewes are due to lamb any day now."

How to use lamb

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishA baby sheep, or the meat from one — also used affectionately for someone innocent or gentle.

Common pairings
spring lamb lamb chop gentle as a lamb lambing season

Word forms

lambed past tense, lambs plural, lamber plural, lambren plural, Lambs plural, lambs singular

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Test yourself on “lamb” A quick quiz — meaning, synonyms & usage

Fill the gap

Can you complete this real example?

The _____ were still wobbly on their legs, only a day old.

Etymology

From Old English lamb, an ancient Germanic word shared across most northern European languages.

Origin: Old English

Related words

Rhymes for lamb

See all rhymes for lamb →

Frequently asked questions

What does “lamb” mean?

The word “lamb” means a young sheep. In plain terms, a baby sheep, or the meat from one — also used affectionately for someone innocent or gentle.

How do you pronounce “lamb”?

“Lamb” is pronounced LAM (/ˈleə̯m/ in IPA).

How do you use “lamb” in a sentence?

Here is “lamb” used in a sentence: “The lambs were still wobbly on their legs, only a day old.”

What part of speech is “lamb”?

Depending on how it is used, “lamb” can be a noun and a verb.

Where does the word “lamb” come from?

The word “lamb” comes from Old English. From Old English lamb, an ancient Germanic word shared across most northern European languages.

Is “lamb” a common word?

“Lamb” is a fairly common word in modern English, usually learned at around the B1 level.

How many meanings does “lamb” have?

“Lamb” has 4 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: a young sheep.

What is the difference between a lamb and a sheep?

A lamb is a young sheep, while sheep is the general name for the animal at any age. Once grown, a female sheep is called a ewe and a male is called a ram.

What is the difference between lamb and mutton?

Lamb is the meat of a young sheep, while mutton is the meat of an adult sheep. Lamb is generally more tender and milder in flavour, and it is the more widely sold of the two in many countries.

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