lamb

Meaning

Noun

1. (countable, uncountable) A young sheep.
2. (countable, obsolete, uncountable) A young goat; a kid.
3. (uncountable) The flesh of a lamb or sheep used as food.
4. (countable, figuratively, uncountable) A person who is meek, docile and easily led.
5. (countable, uncountable) Lambskin.
6. (countable, uncountable) A simple, unsophisticated person.
7. (countable, slang, uncountable) One who ignorantly speculates on the stock exchange and is victimized.
8. (countable, slang, uncountable) A fan of American singer, songwriter, actress, and record producer Mariah Carey (born 1969).

Verb

1. (intransitive) Of a sheep, to give birth.
2. (intransitive, transitive) To assist (sheep) to give birth.

Synonyms

sheep

🐑

kid

🧒

lambkin

mutton

dear

goat

🐐

yeanling

spring lamb

beef

ewe

ram

🐏

baby lamb

lambskin

young sheep

scur

baa-lamb

cosset

etc.

ewes

mouton

ovine

simpleton

yean

small sheep

disbudding

longwool

sheepy

Translations

agneau

🐑

Lamm

🐑

agnello

🐑

cordero

🐑

lam

🐑

cordeiro

🐑

αρνί

kuzu

🐑

Lammfleisch

🐑

agnus

🐑

lamsvlees

xai

🐑

berx

🐑

mouton

🐑

Pronounced as (IPA)

/læm/

Etymology

Inherited from Middle English: lamb

Inherited from Old English: lamb

Cognate with Dutch: lam

Cognate with German: Lamm

Cognate with Bavarian: Lamperl

Cognate with Danish: lam

Cognate with Swedish: lamm

Cognate with Finnish: lammas

Cognate with Scottish Gaelic: lon

Cognate with Ancient Greek: ἔλαφος

In summary

From Middle English lamb, from Old English lamb, from Proto-West Germanic *lamb, from Proto-Germanic *lambaz, probably from Proto-Indo-European *h₁l̥h₁onbʰos, enlargement of *h₁elh₁én, ultimately from *h₁el-.
See also Dutch lam, German Lamm, Bavarian Lamperl, Danish lam, Swedish lamm, Finnish lammas, Scottish Gaelic lon (“elk”), Ancient Greek ἔλαφος (élaphos, “red deer”). More at elk.