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nounnoun

la agnelle

lamb

Definition & meaning

Agneau is a masculine French noun meaning “lamb”, the young offspring of a sheep.

It can refer to:

  • The animal: un agneau — a lamb.
  • Lamb meat: de l’agneau — lamb, as food.
  • A figurative person: someone gentle, innocent, meek, or defenseless, similar to “a lamb” in English.

Grammar & Word origin

  • Gender: masculine
  • Indefinite article: un agneau
  • Plural: des agneaux
  • The final -x in the plural is silent.
  • The feminine form for a young female sheep is agnelle .

The word comes from the Latin agnellus, meaning “little lamb,” derived from agnus, “lamb.”

Synonyms & antonyms

There is no exact everyday synonym for agneau.

  • agnelet means “little lamb” and emphasizes the animal’s small size or young age.
  • mouton means “sheep,” usually an adult sheep, so it is related but not synonymous. It may also refer to sheep meat.
  • agneau de lait specifically means “milk-fed lamb.”

There is no direct antonym. In terms of age, mouton can refer to the mature animal, but it is better considered a contrasting stage of development than a true antonym.

Common phrases & collocations

  • un agneau — a lamb
  • un agneau de lait — a milk-fed lamb; also meat from such a lamb
  • de la viande d’agneau — lamb meat
  • un gigot d’agneau — a leg of lamb
  • doux comme un agneau — as gentle as a lamb
  • être un agneau — to be very gentle, innocent, or submissive

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Examples

L'agneau dort dans la prairie.noun

The lamb is sleeping in the meadow.

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