Lamb

Pronunciation

• IPA: /læm/
• Rhymes: -æm

Origin

Old English lamb, from Proto-Germanic *lambaz (compare Dutch lam, German Lamm, Swedish lamm), from Proto-Indo-European *h₁l̥h₁onbʰos (compare Scottish Gaelic lon ("elk"), Ancient Greek έλαφος (élaphos, "red deer")), enlargement of *h₁elh₁én. More at elk.

Full definition of lamb

Noun

1. A young sheep.
2. The flesh of a lamb or sheep used as food.
3. (figuratively) A person who is meek, docile and easily led.
4. A simple, unsophisticated person.
5. (finance, slang) One who ignorantly speculates on the stock exchange and is victimized.

Derived terms

• lamb to the slaughter/like a lamb to the slaughter/come like a lamb to the slaughter
• lamblike
• lamb's lettuce
• lamb's tongue
• lambswool

Verb

1. (intransitive) Of a sheep, to give birth.
2. (transitive or intransitive) To assist (sheep) to give birth.The shepherd was up all night, lambing her young ewes.

Anagrams

• balm
• blam