lamb
/læm/ (bre, ipa) · [lˈæm] /læm/ (ame, ipa)
lamb — noun
- lambsingular
- lambsplural
1. a sheep that is still very young
a sheep that is still very young
Brandon carried the weak lamb into the barn before the storm began.
countable noun: a lamb
A white lamb followed its mother across the wet field at sunrise.
The children fed a lamb with a bottle at the farm park.
Sora drew a sleeping lamb beside the fence in his sketchbook.
文法句型
a lamb
lambs (plural)
用法筆記
Usually countable. Distinguish from sheep, which is the general word for the animal at any age.
常見錯誤
2. the meat from a young sheep, eaten as food
the meat from a young sheep, eaten as food
Karim ordered grilled lamb with rice and tomatoes for dinner.
uncountable food noun
The market sold fresh lamb for families preparing the holiday meal.
My aunt cooked lamb slowly with garlic and onions all afternoon.
The restaurant serves roast lamb every Sunday at lunchtime.
文法句型
some lamb
roast lamb
lamb + dish noun
用法筆記
Usually uncountable when talking about meat in general. On menus and in recipes, it often appears without an article.
常見錯誤
3. a very gentle, innocent person, or someone who is easy to trick or control
a very gentle, innocent person, or someone who is easy to trick or control
At school, Dewi was such a lamb that she never pushed ahead in line.
be a lamb
The scammer saw Lukas as a lamb and tricked him into a fake investment.
negative figurative use
Even in a loud argument, Talia stayed a lamb and spoke softly.
Cruel traders search for lambs who believe every promise they hear.
- tough customer
someone who is difficult to deceive or push around
文法句型
be a lamb
see someone as a lamb
用法筆記
Used metaphorically. It can sound kind when it means 'very gentle', but critical when it means someone is too easy to deceive. Distinguish from sense 4, where lamb is used directly to address someone.
常見錯誤
4. used to speak to someone in a warm, sympathetic, or affectionate way
used to speak to someone in a warm, sympathetic, or affectionate way
"Don't cry, lamb," the grandmother whispered as she fixed the blanket.
direct address
"Come inside, lamb, it's getting cold," the farmer told the child.
"You did well, lamb," Aunt Rosa said after the music exam.
The old shopkeeper smiled and said, "Take this one, lamb."
- dear
more general and common across many situations
- sweetheart
often warmer and more intimate than lamb
文法句型
"..., lamb"
call someone lamb
用法筆記
Mostly heard in direct speech, especially from older speakers to a child or someone they feel sorry for. Distinguish from sense 3, which describes a person's character rather than addressing them.
lamb — verb
- lambpresent simple I / you / we / they
- lambs3rd person singular
- lambing-ing form
- lambedpast simple
1. if a sheep lambs, it gives birth to one or more young sheep
if a sheep lambs, it gives birth to one or more young sheep
The ewe lambed in the barn just before sunrise on Monday.
intransitive past simple
Farmers stayed awake because three sheep were lambing that night.
progressive: were lambing
By April, most of the flock had lambed and returned to the hill.
The vet came early after one young ewe started lambing in the field.
- give birth
general expression used for people and animals
- yean
much rarer and more technical than lamb
文法句型
[ewe] + lambed
[sheep] + be lambing
用法筆記
Usually used intransitively about the ewe itself. A rarer farming use can take an object, but learners will most often meet forms such as 'the sheep lambed' or 'the ewes are lambing'.