lambkin

American  

[lam-kin] / ˈlæm kɪn /

noun

1. a little lamb.

2. a person who is exceptionally sweet, young, and innocent, as a small child.

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lambkin British  

/ ˈlæmkɪn /

noun

1. a small or young lamb

2. a term of affection for a small endearing child

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Etymology

Origin of lambkin

First recorded in 1570–80; lamb + -kin

Example Sentences

Out with the name, my sweet little lambkin.

From Turandot, Princess of China A Chinoiserie in Three Acts by Bithell, Jethro

Compared with the words lamb, man, and hill, the words lambkin, mannikin, and hillock convey the idea of comparative smallness or diminution.

From A Handbook of the English Language by Latham, R. G. (Robert Gordon)

Come here, my little lambkin, come,   And lick my hand—now do!

From Cole's Funny Picture Book No. 1 by Cole, E. W. (Edward William)

Meanwhile Jack sat and nursed his three wishes, feeling as gay-hearted about his good luck as a lambkin with three tails.

From Edmund Dulac's Fairy-Book Fairy Tales of the Allied Nations by Dulac, Edmund

Come, little Annette, with tresses all curling bright, Sporting and frisking like lambkin or kid, Foot it so sprightly, and dance it all down aright— Never for languor shall Annette be chid.

From Harper's Young People, May 18, 1880 An Illustrated Weekly by Various