lamb

¹

[ lam ]

noun

1. a young sheep.
2. the meat of a young sheep.
3. a person who is gentle, meek, innocent, etc.:

   Their little daughter is such a lamb.

4. a person who is easily cheated or outsmarted, especially an inexperienced speculator.
5. the Lamb, Christ.

verb (used without object)

1. to give birth to a lamb.

Lamb

²

[ lam ]

noun

1. Charles Elia, 1775–1834, English essayist and critic.
2. Harold A., 1892–1962, U.S. novelist.
3. Mary Ann, 1764–1847, English author who wrote in collaboration with her brother Charles Lamb.
4. William, 2nd Viscount Melbourne, 1779–1848, English statesman: prime minister 1834, 1835–41.
5. Willis E(ugene), Jr., 1913–2008, U.S. physicist: Nobel Prize 1955.

Lamb

¹

/ læm /

noun

1. the Lamb
   the Lamb a title given to Christ in the New Testament

lamb

²

/ læm /

noun

1. the young of a sheep
2. the meat of a young sheep
3. a person, esp a child, who is innocent, meek, good, etc
4. a person easily deceived
5. like a lamb to the slaughter
   like a lamb to the slaughter
   1. without resistance
   2. innocently

verb

1. Alsolamb down intr (of a ewe) to give birth
2. tr; used in the passive (of a lamb) to be born
3. intr (of a shepherd) to tend the ewes and newborn lambs at lambing time

Lamb

³

/ læm /

noun

1. LambCharles17751834MEnglishWRITING: essayistWRITING: critic Charles, pen name Elia. 1775–1834, English essayist and critic. He collaborated with his sister Mary on Tales from Shakespeare (1807). His other works include Specimens of English Dramatic Poets (1808) and the largely autobiographical essays collected in Essays of Elia (1823; 1833)
2. See Melbourne
   William. See (2nd Viscount) Melbourne 2
3. LambWillis Eugene19132008MUSSCIENCE: physicist Willis Eugene. 1913–2008, US physicist. He detected the small difference in energy between two states of the hydrogen atom ( Lamb shift ). Nobel prize for physics 1955

Derived Forms

• ˈlambˌlike, adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of lamb¹

First recorded before 900; Middle English, Old English; cognate with Dutch lam, German Lamm, Old Norse, Gothic lamb; akin to Greek élaphos “deer”; elk

Word History and Origins

Origin of lamb¹

Old English lamb, from Germanic; compare German Lamm, Old High German and Old Norse lamb

Idioms and Phrases

see hanged for a sheep (as a lamb) ; in two shakes (of a lamb's tail) ; like a lamb to the slaughter .

Example Sentences

The freezer is filled with meat, sides of beef and large pieces of lamb.

From The Daily Beast

In her white prom dress, Carrie is like a lamb to the slaughter, the blood besmirching her innocence.

From The Daily Beast

I must have had lamb and potatoes 180 times since I have been here.

From The Daily Beast

Families were sitting picnic-style, meals of lamb and rice on large plates, scooped up with the flat bread nan.

From The Daily Beast

Even Garnet's gyro wrap is made with McLane farms seasoned lamb.

From The Daily Beast

Young Lamb's big cigar has been out long ago; but he pulls hard at it, wholly unaware of the fact.

From Project Gutenberg

Young Lamb has already paid several visits to Mr. Levison's little table.

From Project Gutenberg

Lamb fills his case, and lights this the ne plus ultra of a soothing weed.

From Project Gutenberg

Lamb with shaking fingers places the required amount in front of him.

From Project Gutenberg

The perspiration stands on young Lamb's face; again his cigar goes out.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• fish