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Definition of lamb noun from the Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary

lamb

noun
 
/læm/
 
/læm/
 Idioms
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  1. [countable] a young sheep see also baa-lambTopics Animalsa2
    Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective
    • newborn
    • little
    • sacrificial
    • …
    verb + lamb
    • kill
    • slaughter
    • sacrifice
    • …
    lamb + verb
    • bleat
    • frolic
    • gambol
    • …
    See full entry
  2. [uncountable] meat from a young sheep
    • a leg of lamb
    • lamb chops
    • the traffic in illegally slaughtered lamb
    compare muttonTopics Fooda2
    Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective
    • spring
    • ground
    • minced
    • …
    lamb + noun
    • chop
    • cutlet
    • shank
    • …
    phrases
    • leg of lamb
    • rack of lamb
    • shoulder of lamb
    • …
    See full entry
  3. [countable] (informal) used to describe or address somebody with love or sympathy
    • You poor lamb!
    More Like This Silent lettersSilent letters
    4. Word OriginOld English, of Germanic origin; related to Dutch lam and German Lamm.
Idioms
(like) a lamb/lambs to the slaughter
  1. used to describe people who are going to do something dangerous without realizing itTopics Dangerc2
(you, etc.) may/might as well be hanged/hung for a sheep as (for) a lamb
  1. (saying) if you are going to be punished for doing something wrong, whether it is a big or small thing, you may as well do the big thing
mutton dressed as lamb
  1. (British English, informal, offensive) an offensive way to describe a woman who you think is trying to look younger than she really is, especially by wearing clothes that are designed for young people
See lamb in the Oxford Advanced American Dictionary
Check pronunciation: lamb

Nearby words

sunflower
noun
 
 
From the Topic
Plants and trees
B2
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