# mutton

/ˈmətən/ (US) · /mˈʌtən/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/mutton
Updated: 2026-08-27

## Senses

### 1. meat from sheep

noun · CEFR B2

the meat from a sheep that is more than one year old.

For teachers: the flesh of a mature sheep used as food, typically distinguished from the meat of younger animals (lamb) by its darker colour and stronger flavour.

- The stew was made with mutton and slow-cooked until the meat was tender.
- Traditional recipes often call for mutton rather than lamb because the mature meat stands up better to long, slow braising with heavy spices.

### 2. deaf

adjective · CEFR C2 · British English · Slang · Dialect

a slang word for being unable to hear well.

For teachers: used as a synonym for 'deaf' in Cockney rhyming slang, derived from the phrase 'mutton jeff'.

- You will have to speak up because he is a bit mutton these days.
- The elderly man joked that he was getting a bit mutton, asking his grandchildren to repeat their stories more loudly.

Usage: Usually follows the verb 'to be' and is often preceded by 'a bit'.

Teaching tip: This is specific to British English and is very informal; learners should use it only in casual, humorous contexts.

## Examples

- The chef prepared a slow-cooked mutton stew for dinner.
- While lamb is more popular for roasting, mutton is often preferred in traditional curries for its robust flavour.
- The culinary revival of mutton has led many high-end restaurants to source heritage breeds, arguing that the mature meat offers a complexity of flavour that younger lamb lacks.

---

From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.