noun
mutton
MUHTN
noun
1
The meat of an adult sheep, used as food.
"The stew was made with slow-cooked mutton and root vegetables."
"Mutton has a stronger flavour than lamb because the animal is older."
2
A sheep itself, especially one raised for meat.
"The farmer kept a small flock of mutton for the local market."
How to Use Mutton
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishSheep meat, especially from an older animal, as opposed to lamb which comes from a young one.
Common mistake
Mutton and lamb both come from sheep, but lamb is the meat of a young animal and has a milder taste; mutton comes from an adult sheep and tastes stronger.
Common pairings
leg of mutton
mutton stew
mutton chop
Word Forms
muttons plural
Study it as flashcards or scroll it in Flow — saved to your collection.
Test yourself on “mutton”
A quick quiz — meaning, synonyms & usage
→
Fill the Gap
Can you complete this real example?
The stew was made with slow-cooked _____ and root vegetables.
Etymology
From Old French mouton ("sheep"), tracing back to a Gaulish word for a ram or wether — the same root that gives French "mouton" today.