ewe

¹

[yoo, yoh]

noun

1. a female sheep, especially when fully mature.

Ewe

²

[ey-vey, ey-wey]

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

/ juː /

noun

1. 1. a female sheep

   2. ( as modifier )

      a ewe lamb

Ewe

²

/ 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

Word History and Origins

Origin of ewe¹

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of ewe¹

Old English ēowu; related to Old Norse ǣr ewe, Old High German ou, Latin ovis sheep, Sanskrit avi

Example Sentences

Having grown up in a family of self-sufficient farmers, Ben was no stranger to being knee deep in manure, or helping his father birth a rotting lamb from inside an ewe.

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The sheep stolen were all ewes in lamb, in an area which has seen the highest proportion of livestock theft in the UK between April 2024 and March 2025, the court heard.

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So in January 2022, when veterinary scans showed 25% of his impregnated ewes were no longer carrying lambs, he began to investigate.

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

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This winter - like most years - Mr Abel is missing more than 400 ewes.

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