mutton

noun

mut·​ton ˈmə-tᵊn How to pronounce mutton (audio)
: the flesh of a mature sheep used for food
muttony
ˈmə-tᵊn-ē How to pronounce mutton (audio)
ˈmət-nē
adjective

Examples of mutton in a Sentence

a meal of mutton and potatoes
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Velvet crispy shrimp, goat chops and mutton karahi might land on the table too. — Aviva Bechky, Houston Chronicle, 6 May 2026 Beef, pork, lamb, mutton and other meats are cooked using an open fire or grill. — Zuri Primos june 17, Kansas City Star, 17 June 2026 Sometimes there are pantheras, moreish pan rolls made of crêpes stuffed with spicy mutton mince. — Madhushree Basu Roy, Saveur, 30 Apr. 2026 Sheep are overwhelmingly bred and slaughtered for meat, either lamb or mutton. — U T Readers, San Diego Union-Tribune, 3 Mar. 2026 See All Example Sentences for mutton

Word History

Etymology

Middle English motoun, mutton, sheep, from Anglo-French mutun ram, sheep, mutton, of Celtic origin; akin to Old Irish molt wether

First Known Use

13th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of mutton was in the 13th century

Phrases Containing mutton

Rhymes for mutton

See All Rhymes for mutton

Browse Nearby Words

mutteringly
mutton
muttonbird
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Mutton.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/mutton. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation

Kids Definition

mutton

noun
mut·​ton ˈmət-ᵊn How to pronounce mutton (audio)
: the flesh of a mature sheep used for food
Etymology

from French mouton "sheep"

More from Merriam-Webster on mutton

Nglish: Translation of mutton for Spanish Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Commonly Misspelled Words

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

One-Word Oxymorons: Bittersweet, Spendthrift, and More

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
hangman letters and game
Hangman Lightning Round Figure out which word fits in the blanks.
See All