lamb
a young sheep, or the flesh of a young sheep eaten as meat
lambs gambolling about in the fields
Oxford Essential Dictionary
lamb
noun
1 (plural lambs)
pronunciation
The word lamb sounds like ham, because we don't say the letter b in this word.
a young sheep
2 (no plural) meat from a lamb:
We had roast lamb for lunch.
Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English
lamb
I. lamb1 S3 /læm/ BrE AmE noun
[Language: Old English]
1.
[countable] a young sheep
2. [uncountable] the meat of a young sheep ⇨ mutton:
roast lamb
a leg of lamb
lamb chop/cutlet/stew etc
3. [countable] spoken used to talk to or talk about someone who is gentle and lovable, especially a child:
Ben’s asleep now, the little lamb.
4. like a lamb to the slaughter used when someone is going to do something dangerous, but they do not realize it or have no choice
5. like a lamb quietly and without any argument:
Suzie went off to school like a lamb today.
⇨ mutton dressed as lamb at ↑mutton(2)
Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary
lamb
lamb [lamb lambs lambed lambing] noun, verb [læm] [læm]
noun
1. countable a young sheep
2. uncountable meat from a young sheep
• a leg of lamb
• lamb chops
compare mutton
3. countable (informal) used to describe or address sb with affection or pity
• You poor lamb!
more at mutton dressed as lamb at mutton, (you, etc.) may/might as well be hanged/hung for a sheep as (for) a lamb at well adv.
Word Origin:
Old English, of Germanic origin; related to Dutch lam and German Lamm.
Example Bank:
• the traffic in illegally slaughtered lamb
Idiom: lamb to the slaughter
Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary
lamb / læm / noun [ C or U ]
B1 a young sheep, or the flesh of a young sheep eaten as meat:
lambs gambolling about in the fields
lamb chops
roast lamb
→ See also mutton
Collins COBUILD Advanced Learner’s English Dictionary
lamb
[læ̱m]
lambs
1) N-COUNT A lamb is a young sheep.
N-UNCOUNT
Lamb is the flesh of a lamb eaten as food. Laura was basting the leg of lamb.
2) N-COUNT (feelings) People sometimes use lamb when they are addressing or referring to someone who they are fond of and who is young, gentle, or unfortunate.
She came and put her arms around me. `You poor lamb. What's wrong?'
3) PHRASE: lamb inflects, PHR after v If you say that people do something like lambs or like lambs to the slaughter, you mean that they do what someone wants them to do without complaining or fighting.
The pair surrendered to him like lambs...
We follow their every word like lambs to the slaughter.
4) mutton dressed as lamb → see mutton
Merriam-Webster's Advanced Learner's Dictionary
1lamb /ˈlæm/ noun, pl lambs
1 a [count] : a young sheep
• She's as gentle as a lamb.
• a sacrificial lamb
- compare ewe, 1ram
b [noncount] : the meat of a lamb
• leg/rack of lamb
• lamb chops
2 [count] informal : an innocent, weak, or gentle person
• You poor lamb.
like a lamb to the slaughter : in a very innocent way : without knowing that something bad will happen
• He walked into the meeting like a lamb to the slaughter.
mutton dressed as lamb
- see mutton
