noun
lambkin
LAM-kin/ˈlæmkɪn/
A little lamb regarded affectionately.
The little lambkin stays close to its mother in the pasture.
Etymology
Lamb plus the diminutive -kin makes “little lamb.” As an endearment, it transfers the image of a small, gentle animal to someone cherished and treated tenderly.
More examples
- She gently lifts the lambkin out of the mud.
- Two woolly lambkins nap together in the warm barn.
- We bottle-feed the orphaned lambkin every few hours.
Forms
lambkin · lambkins
Similar words
- lamb
- Names a young sheep without necessarily expressing affection.