sheepflesh

English

Alternative forms

• sheep-flesh, sheep flesh, sheep's flesh

Etymology

From sheep +‎ flesh. Compare Dutch schapenvlees (“mutton”), German Schaffleisch (“sheep meat, mutton”).

Noun

sheepflesh (uncountable)

1. The meat or flesh of sheep; mutton.
   • 1860, Benson John Lossing, Rufus Wilmot Griswold, Life of Washington:

     Everybody wore home-made clothing; and that wool might not become scarce, the use of sheepflesh, for food, was discouraged.

   • 1877, Horatio C. Wood, Charles Rice, Frederick Albert Castle, New remedies: Volume 6:

     Sheep and goat wines are directed to be prepared in the following' manner: Take ten catties (i catty — i \ lb.) of soaked rice, seven catties of goat or sheep flesh, fourteen onions, one Shan-tung cabbage, and a catty of almond kernels [...]

   • 2001, Eurípides, Heather McHugh, David Konstan, Cyclops:

     SILENUS It's each man by and for himself. There is no govermnent. ODYSSEUS Is Demeter respected here? I mean, do they plant grain? What do they live on? SILENUS Curds and whey and sheepflesh, sir.

   • 2007, Donald McCaig, Nop's Hope:

     The sheep were a solid lump of woolly sheepflesh, swirling, and though Penny tried to separate them, they were like commuters jammed in a subway car, nothing could break them apart.

Synonyms

• sheepmeat

Hyponyms

• lamb