house lambn.
/ˈhaʊs ˌlam/, U.S. /ˈhaʊs ˌlæm/ 1. A lamb which, in order to ensure a tender meat, is reared in a building, typically fed on its mother's milk without being allowed out to graze, and slaughtered at between 6 and 10 weeks of age, traditionally in time for Christmas. Also: a lamb that is bottle-fed by a person and kept in or near their house; a pet lamb.
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the world > animals > mammals > group Ungulata (hoofed) > group Ruminantia (sheep, goats, cows, etc.) > genus Ovus > [noun] > Ovus Aries (domestic sheep) > lamb > pet lamb
cadec1450
pet1539
house lamb1574
cosset1579
sock-lamb1838
hob-lamb1847
poddy1983
the world > animals > mammals > group Ungulata (hoofed) > group Ruminantia (sheep, goats, cows, etc.) > genus Ovus > [noun] > Ovus Aries (domestic sheep) > lamb > defined by size > fattened for eating
house lamb1574
1574 E. Hellowes tr. A. de Guevara Familiar Epist. 220 So quiet and so gentle, as if it had ben a house lambe brought vp by hand.
1729 R. Bradley Gentleman & Farmer's Guide i. 24 An excellent Farmer..near Kingston in Surrey, trains up his House-Lambs in the following manner.
1770 L. Carter Diary 12 Sept. (1965) I. 488 Killed a fine house lamb this day.
1798 J. Middleton View Agric. Middx. xiii. 355 House-Lambs, the ewes are always..of the Dorsetshire breed, and..there are not more than one in three that will lamb sufficiently early for the purpose of house-lamb.
1826 W. Cobbett Rural Rides in Cobbett's Weekly Polit. Reg. 21 Oct. 195 The house-lambs and the early Easter-lambs.
1847 C. Dickens Dombey & Son (1848) xxv. 254 Mild and placid as a house-lamb.
1959 Econ. Hist. Rev. 12 131 The southern house-lamb industry which faded out when the new fodder crops enabled farmers to produce a more even supply of meat all the year.
2004 N. Smith Harvest 149 Jennifer tried bottle-feeding the three lambs... She judged it too much trouble to milk ewes directly, given that these house lambs would probably die anyway.
2. The flesh of such a purpose-bred animal used as food.
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the world > food and drink > food > animals for food > mutton > [noun] > lamb
lamb1620
house lamb1727
Canterbury lamb1898
1727 P. Longueville Hermit 28 Which did eat as choice as House-Lamb.
1788 J. Trusler Honours of Table 100 House-lamb, should be very fat and plump, or it is worth nothing.
1807 M. E. Rundell New Syst. Domest. Cookery (ed. 2) ii. 32 House-lamb may be had in great towns almost all the year.
1860 C. Dickens Uncommerc. Traveller in All Year Round 8 Sept. 518 They are called Garnish for house-lamb.
1894 W. S. Gilbert His Excellency i. 121 House lamb at Christmas sells At prices handsome.
1901 M. G. Bidder & F. Baddeley Domest. Econ. in Theory & Pract. ii. xi. 236 Lamb is to be had from Christmas, when it is called House Lamb, and is considered a great delicacy.
1941 A. Escoffier Escoffier Cookbk. & Guide Fine Art Cookery ii. xv. 442 A young unweaned sheep which has never grazed.., and it never leaves the place where it has been housed... When served roasted.., grass and house lamb are always accompanied by mint sauce.
2008 Independent Extra (Nexis) 30 May 6 The thrifty foodie's seasonal food calender... December... Meat: beef, house lamb, mutton, pork, chicken, turkey, goose.
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, September 2011; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
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