Jump To:

• ewe
  ewe

  noun

  a female sheep, especially when fully mature.
• Ewe
  Ewe

  noun

  a member of a people of Togo and Ghana, in western Africa.

ewe

¹ American  

[yoo, yoh] / ju, joʊ /

noun

• ewes
  plural

1. a female sheep, especially when fully mature.

---

Ewe ² American  

[ey-vey, ey-wey] / ˈeɪ veɪ, ˈeɪ weɪ /

noun

1. a member of a people of Togo and Ghana, in western Africa.

2. the Kwa language spoken by the Ewe people.

---

ewe ¹ British  

/ juː /

noun

1. 1. a female sheep

   2. ( as modifier )

      a ewe lamb

---

Ewe ² British  

/ ˈɛwɛ /

noun

1. a member of a Negroid people of W Africa living chiefly in the forests of E Ghana, Togo, and Benin

2. the language of this people, belonging to the Kwa branch of the Niger-Congo family

---

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• ewes
  plural

Etymology

Origin of ewe

First recorded before 1000; Middle English; Old English ēowu, ēwe; cognate with Old High German ou, ouwi, Dutch ooi, Latin ovis, Greek óïs, oîs, Sanskrit ávi

Explanation

At last, a word that means only one thing. A ewe is a female sheep. That is what a ewe is. Most people have precious few opportunities to use the word ewe. For most of us, it's most valuable as a three-letter word for crossword puzzles. For example: 1-down: a three-letter word meaning female sheep. Answer? Ewe! Also, if you're an avid Scrabble player, ewe is a good word to keep up your sleeve. That "W" can rake in some serious points if you put it on a triple-word space. Finally, punster's will enjoy using ewe in a sentence like “you and I will go see the ewe and him” — which has the two of us going to see some guy and his female sheep.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

ewe Ewe ewes

The birth comes after five lambs were born to one ewe at a farm on the Swinton Estate, near Masham, last month.

From BBC ● May 8, 2026

At the opposite extreme is Scotland's Soay sheep, with just 0.6% full siblings because each ewe mates with multiple rams.

From Science Daily ● Jan. 22, 2026

The lambs of the affected ewe tested negative for bird flu, the spokesperson added.

From BBC ● Mar. 24, 2025

The embryos were later implanted in a ewe, resulting in a pure Marco Polo argali sheep that Schubert named “Montana Mountain King,” the documents show.

From Seattle Times ● Mar. 13, 2024

He would watch and know precisely when a ewe was starting labor—had a wonderful knowledge of sheep—but could barely move.

From This Side of Wild by Gary Paulsen

The river Nevis in western Scotland registered its lowest May flow since records began in 1983, while the Ewe had its second lowest since 1971.

From BBC ● Jun. 15, 2023

I am convinced the Ewe version is the more beautiful one, but I would say that seeing that I am an Ewe myself.

From BBC ● Mar. 23, 2021

His father was a Scottish businessman, and his mother was from Ghana’s Ewe ethnic group.

From Washington Post ● Nov. 12, 2020

The restaurant serves four types of sangria and beers with names like Bad Shepherd Milk Stout and Why Ewe Whining.

From Washington Post ● Jul. 5, 2017

“He would give the Ewe people impossible jobs—like weaving baskets out of sand.”

From "Copper Sun" by Sharon M. Draper

That also explains why, and how, his devoted rams, lambs and ewes are able to dedicate themselves to solving his murder.

From Salon ● May 17, 2026

Jacob represents the fifth generation of his family to take on the farm at Cwm Risca in Tondu, with its 1,000 breeding ewes and 300 cattle.

From BBC ● Nov. 18, 2024

At the desert lab that day, the wildlife team sampled five bighorn rams and seven ewes.

From Science Magazine ● Apr. 29, 2024

Schubarth then implanted those embryos in his ranch’s ewes.

From Slate ● Mar. 16, 2024

He wasn’t paying any attention to Robert or Tayo, who were examining the old ewes.

From "Ceremony:" by Leslie Marmon Silko