noun
ewe
YOO/juː/
An adult female sheep.
The ewe nurses her lamb.
Etymology
Old English eowu already meant “female sheep” and was the feminine counterpart of eow, “sheep.” The modern word preserves that sex-specific meaning.
In context
indicating the birth of the lamb. Now we've only got 48 hours to find the ewe and the lamb
More examples
- Several ewes grazed in the lower field.
- The farmer checked the ewe before lambing season.
- A white ewe stood beside the ram.
Forms
ewe · ewes
Similar words
- ram
- A ram is a male sheep; a ewe is a female sheep.
- lamb
- A lamb is a young sheep of either sex; ewe identifies a female, usually an adult.