mutton
1 Americannoun
noun
noun
Other Word Forms
- muttony adjective
Etymology
Origin of mutton1
First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English moton “sheep,” from Old French, from Celtic; compare Breton maout “wether,” Middle Irish molt, Welsh mollt
Origin of mutton2
First recorded in 1935–40; code term, coined to differentiate the pronunciation of em quad from en quad
Explanation
If you order mutton at a restaurant, you'll be served a kind of meat that comes from an adult sheep. It's not, however, very common to see mutton on a menu. Use mutton when you're talking about eating the flesh of a sheep. In the United States, it's more common to dine on lamb, which is meat that comes from a baby sheep, although mutton is a popular dish in other parts of the world. Mutton has been in use since the 13th century, from an Old French root word, moton, "mutton, ram, or sheep." In the 1860s, long sideburns called mutton chops were a popular style of facial hair.
Vocabulary lists containing mutton
St. Patrick's Day Vocabulary: Words With Irish and Gaelic Roots
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Chains
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The Night Diary
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
“They want safety, and I understand that,” he said, as waiters bustled past with plates of yogurt-marinated mutton and chicken kebabs.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 1, 2026
Alongside heaping plates of spiced rice — filled with generous chunks of tender mutton and buttery marrow and slivers of fried golden onions — were bowls of a humble condiment.
From Salon • Mar. 28, 2026
In the 19th century, children gobbled chiles and mutton and turnips and jellied pig’s brain.
From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 20, 2026
For those with more money, mutton is on the menu - usually roasted.
From BBC • Sep. 11, 2025
They ate at a table set up on the lawn, savoring Alice’s turtle soup and mutton and devising compliments for the cook, who would never receive them.
From "The Underground Railroad: A Novel" by Colson Whitehead
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
