Mutton Meaning
/ˈmʌt(ə)n/Definition, CEFR level B1, pronunciation, examples, and quiz.
Listen pronunciation
Definition
nounThe meat of sheep used as food; especially, that of adults.
nounThe meat of a goat, urial, or other caprine.
Sentence Examples
I prefer mutton to beef.
When was the last time you ate mutton?
Synonyms & Antonyms
Synonyms:
Antonyms:
None
CEFR Practice Quiz
The restaurant's special dish was roasted ____ from an old sheep served with vegetables.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
For the traditional Sunday roast, my grandmother always serves lean ____ with a side of mint sauce and several types of roasted vegetables.
Word Origin & History
From Middle English motoun, moton, from Old French mouton (“sheep”), from Vulgar Latin moltō, from Gaulish *multon-, from Proto-Celtic *moltos (“ram, wether”). Doublet of mouton.
Literary Quotations & Historical Citations
"Mutton, eaten with caraway seed, is eaten as an aphrodisiac among Arabs."
— 1961, Harry E. Wedeck, Dictionary of Aphrodisiacs, New York: The Citadel Press, page 161:
"This prejudice against goat mutton is founded upon ignorance rather than experience. The most ill-smelling “billy” of the worst possible type is made the standard of goat flesh for the whole goat family."
— 1903, George Fayette Thompson, A Manual of Angora Goat Raising: With a Chapter on Milch Goats, page 96:
"Generally urial mutton is excellent in spite of their strongly scented food, especially if the beasts are young. Their skins are valueless even to the Dard, who can turn most things to some account, and so one commonly finds them [discarded]."
— 1910, Roger Lloyd Kennion, Sport and Life in the Further Himalaya, page 89:
"The mutton from goats is not considered nearly as good as mutton from sheep. Angora and common goats are found in almost every state in this country. They seem to do well under a wide range of climatic conditions."
— 1916, Frank Duane Gardner, Successful Farming; a Ready Reference on All Phases of Agriculture for Farmers of the United States and Canada, page 617:
"BAKED HASH HOW TO COOK AND PREPARE GOAT MEAT / By Mrs. Finley Gilchrist / We have used goat mutton for three years. Everyone likes it. Dress and cool 48 hours before cooking, except liver and heart."
— 1920, Angora and Milk Goat Journal, page 13:
Explore More B1 Vocabulary Words
CEFR Practice Quiz
The restaurant's special dish was roasted ____ from an old sheep served with vegetables.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
For the traditional Sunday roast, my grandmother always serves lean ____ with a side of mint sauce and several types of roasted vegetables.