mutton

mutton
mutton (n.) "flesh of sheep used as food," late 13c., from O.Fr. moton "mutton; ram, wether, sheep" (12c., Mod.Fr. mouton), from M.L. multonem (8c.), probably from Gallo-Romance *multo-s, accusative of Celtic *multo "sheep" (Cf. O.Ir. molt "wether," Mid-Breton mout, Welsh mollt); the same word also was borrowed into Italian as montone "a sheep." Transferred slang sense of "food for lust, loose women, prostitutes" (1510s) led to extensive British slang uses down to the present day for woman variously regarded as seeking lovers or as lust objects. Mutton chop is from 1720; as a style of side whiskers, from 1865.

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  • Mutton — Mut ton, n. [OE. motoun, OF. moton, molton, a sheep, wether, F. mouton, LL. multo, by transposition of l fr. L. mutilus mutilated. See {Mutilate}.] 1. A sheep. [Obs.] Chapman. [1913 Webster] Not so much ground as will feed a mutton. Sir H. Sidney …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • mutton — ► NOUN ▪ the flesh of mature sheep used as food. ● mutton dressed as lamb Cf. ↑mutton dressed as lamb ORIGIN Old French moton, from Latin multo, probably of Celtic origin …   English terms dictionary

  • mutton — [mut′ n] n. [ME moton < OFr, a ram < ML * multo, sheep, of Celt orig. as in Welsh mollt, Ir molt] 1. the flesh of a sheep, esp. a grown sheep, used as food 2. Rare a sheep muttony adj …   English World dictionary

  • mutton — n. 1 the flesh of sheep used for food. 2 joc. a sheep. Phrases and idioms: mutton bird Austral. 1 any bird of the genus Puffinus, esp. the short tailed shearwater, P. tenuirostris. 2 any of various petrels. mutton chop 1 a piece of mutton, usu.… …   Useful english dictionary

  • mutton —    a person viewed sexually by another    The common meat1 imagery:     The duke... would eat mutton on Fridays. He s now past it. (Shakespeare, Measure for Measure) A mutton was a prostitute, and a mutton monger was a profligate male,… …   How not to say what you mean: A dictionary of euphemisms

  • mutton — [[t]mʌ̱t(ə)n[/t]] 1) N UNCOUNT Mutton is meat from an adult sheep that is eaten as food. ...a leg of mutton. ...mutton stew. 2) PHRASE: usu v link PHR (disapproval) If you describe a woman as mutton dressed as lamb, you are criticizing her for… …   English dictionary

  • Mutton — Recorded as Motton, Mouton, Mutton and Mitton, this is an Anglo French surname, but with at least two distinct origins. Firstly, it may be of pre 10th century Old French origin, and an occupational name for a shepherd. The derivation being from… …   Surnames reference

  • mutton — Эм, Круглая (Em space, Mutton, Quad)     Ширина самой широкой прописной буквы латинского алфавита «М». Традиционно считается, что она равна кеглю [высота шрифта, размер] шрифта, то есть в шрифте кегля 10 эм равна 10 пунктам [единица измерения… …   Шрифтовая терминология

  • mutton — noun Etymology: Middle English motoun, mutton, sheep, from Anglo French mutun ram, sheep, mutton, of Celtic origin; akin to Old Irish molt wether Date: 13th century the flesh of a mature sheep used for food • muttony adjective …   New Collegiate Dictionary

  • mutton — Synonyms and related words: agneau, bellwether, breast of lamb, ewe, ewe lamb, gigot, jambe de mouton, jumbuck, lamb, lambkin, leg of lamb, leg of mutton, mouton, ram, saddle of mutton, sheep, teg, tup, wether, yeanling …   Moby Thesaurus

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