ewe

[ yoo; Dialect yoh ]

/ yu; Dialect yoʊ /

noun

a female sheep, especially when fully mature.

Nearby words

ewa beach, ewald, ewan, ewart, ewart's sign, ewe, ewe equivalent, ewe lamb, ewe-neck, ewell, ewell, richard stoddert

Origin of ewe

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

Can be confused

ewe yew you (see usage note at you)

Definition for ewes (2 of 2)

Ewe

[ ey-vey, ey-wey ]

/ ˈeɪ veɪ, ˈeɪ weɪ /

noun

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

the Kwa language spoken by the Ewe people.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for ewes

You've got twelve hundred ewes an' 'leven hundred of the best lambs that this here range has ever seen.
Tales from the X-bar Horse Camp|Will C. Barnes
Rams, of course, are not to be selected for ewes by mere chance, but according as their qualities may improve those of the ewes.
Sheep, Swine, and Poultry|Robert Jennings
Most of the time the full-grown rams form one flock; the ewes and youngsters flock by themselves.
The Rocky Mountain Wonderland|Enos A. Mills
As soon as I was old enough I used to help him, mostly in the way of keeping an eye upon the ewes while he was gone home to rest.
Life's Little Ironies|Thomas Hardy

Look to the ewes' teeth, Jacob, and to their udders; see that the udders are sound.
The Brook Kerith|George Moore

British Dictionary definitions for ewes (1 of 2)

Ewe

/ (ˈɛwɛ) /

noun

plural Ewe or Ewes a member of a Negroid people of W Africa living chiefly in the forests of E Ghana, Togo, and Benin

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

British Dictionary definitions for ewes (2 of 2)

ewe

/ (juː) /

noun

a female sheep
(as modifier)a ewe lamb

Word Origin for ewe

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

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012