Word: Mutton

Pronunciation

/ˈmʌtn/

Definitions

• Noun: The flesh of a mature sheep when used as food. For example: “The roast mutton was tender and juicy.”
  • Also, the animal itself that provides this meat: “Mutton is raised primarily for its meat and wool.”

Phrases

• “Mutton dressed as lamb”: This idiom is used figuratively to describe someone, usually a woman, who dresses in a style considered too young or inappropriate for their age.
• “To cry mutton”: An old-fashioned expression meaning to falsely claim something as one’s own or to make a pretense of having something.

Example Sentences

• Noun (meat): “They served a hearty stew made with potatoes and chunks of mutton.”
• Noun (animal): “On the farm, they breed both mutton and wool from their flock of sheep.”

Synonyms

• Sheep meat
• Lamb (when referring to the meat of an adult sheep)
• Hogget (the meat of a sheep between one and two years old)

Note on Usage

While “lamb” typically refers to the meat of a young sheep, “mutton” specifically denotes the meat from an older sheep, usually around two years or older. In some regions, the terms may be used interchangeably, but in culinary contexts, the distinction is often maintained.