mutton
- 01 B2 Upper Intermediate
n.the meat from a sheep that is more than one year old.
n.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.
Simple“The stew was made with mutton and slow-cooked until the meat was tender.”
In context“Traditional recipes often call for mutton rather than lamb because the mature meat stands up better to long, slow braising with heavy spices.”
- 02 C2 Proficiency
adj.a slang word for being unable to hear well.
adj.used as a synonym for 'deaf' in Cockney rhyming slang, derived from the phrase 'mutton jeff'.
Simple“You will have to speak up because he is a bit mutton these days.”
In context“The elderly man joked that he was getting a bit mutton, asking his grandchildren to repeat their stories more loudly.”
UsageUsually follows the verb 'to be' and is often preceded by 'a bit'.
Teacher's tipThis is specific to British English and is very informal; learners should use it only in casual, humorous contexts.
Synonyms
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.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.