You all know what a sheep is right? If not, I’ll tell you…
A sheep is a farmyard animal with a thick woolly coat. They are kept for meat, milk, and wool. The singular form is sheep and the plural is also sheep (not sheeps!). A baby sheep is called a lamb (the ‘b’ is silent), a male sheep is called a ram and a female is called a ewe (pronounced like ‘you’).
The word ‘sheep’ is a slang word for a person who is easily influenced by others and follows the crowd.
e.g. Don’t be a sheep, buy the trainers you like not the ones all the cool kids have.
sheep idioms and sayings
Here’s a list of idioms about sheep.
- black sheep
meaning – of the family the naughty/odd/different one
example – All my family are doctors, but my brother is unemployed. He’s the black sheep. - count sheep
meaning – if you can’t sleep, you should count sheep
example – I counted over 3000 sheep last night. I just couldn’t sleep. - in two shakes of a lamb’s tail
meaning – in a very short time
example – I’ll be with you in two shakes of a lamb’s tail. I’ve got to send a couple of emails first. - like a lamb to the slaughter
meaning – be calm and unaware of the danger to come
example – Four boys waited like lambs to the slaughter outside the headmaster’s office. - mutton dressed as lamb
meaning – an older woman who dresses in clothes that suit a much younger woman
example – My mum is mutton dressed as lamb; she should dress more appropriately. - wolf in sheep’s clothing
meaning – a dangerous person who pretends to be harmless
example – Be wary of Lucas. I’ve got no proof, but I think he’s a wolf in sheep’s clothing.
sheep idioms and sayings with pictures
Click on the pictures below to learn some common idioms and expressions with sheep. Each idiom includes the meaning and a real-life picture example.
You can download a table of sheep idioms and sayings below.
If you’ve enjoyed this page, don’t forget to check out some more animal idioms by clicking on the links below.
