French word

mouton

Pronunciation

IPA/mutɔ̃/

Meaning

  • masculine nounsheep

Example

La ferme a beaucoup de moutons.

The farm has many sheep.

Illustration for mouton (sheep)

More examples

Le berger tond un mouton au printemps.

The shepherd shears a sheep in spring.

Core concept

A sheep among a slow-moving flock, associated with wool and farm life.

Common phrases

  • un mouton

    a sheep

  • un troupeau de moutons

    a flock of sheep

  • la laine de mouton

    sheep's wool

Similar words

agneau: A very young sheep, recently born and not yet fully grown.
brebis: A fully grown female sheep.
troupeau: A flock or herd of animals of the same species.

Definition in French

Désigne l'ovin domestique (Ovis aries), animal souvent élevé en troupeau pour la production de laine et de viande.

Word origin

Mouton is inherited from the Old French forms moton and mouton, and its deeper origin remains uncertain; English mutton is a related borrowing.

Usage tips

  • Mouton is masculine, so the usual forms are un mouton and des moutons, with the plural pronounced like the singular.

Other meanings

  • muttonnoun

Word lists with this word