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Glite Dictionary
Hampshire Down

Hampshire Down

8.0
A large British sheep with a dark face and a thick coat that people keep for meat and wool
  • noun
translation icon : Hampshire Down
  • We visited a farm where a flock of Hampshire Downs grazed peacefully in the fields.

Examples

  • The dark face and woolly body make the Hampshire Down easy to identify among other breeds.

  • The Hampshire Down sheep are known for their excellent meat quality.

  • The Hampshire Down is prized by farmers for its rapid growth and strong build.

  • Farmers in England often raise Hampshire Downs for their wool.

  • The Hampshire Down is a popular breed among farmers due to its high-quality meat and wool.

  • With their dark faces and robust bodies, Hampshire Downs stand out in the pasture.

  • Many farmers choose Hampshire Downs for their rapid growth and adaptability to different environments.

Synonyms

Hampshire
vsHampshire Down
5.3

A British sheep with a dark face and no horns that farmers keep for meat

is larger and also valued for fine wool as well as high-quality meat

Surface Forms

Hampshire Down singular
Hampshire Downs plural

Morphology

Hampshire + down

The compound is a conventional breed name where 'Hampshire' (a place/name) plus 'Down' (meaning upland hills) does not transparently signal 'a breed of sheep' to a B1 learner who knows the literal constituents. The use of 'Down' as a toponymic/breed-forming element is lexicalized and unpredictable from the common meanings, so the overall sense is not derivable from the parts.

Etymology

Hampshire Down is named for Hampshire and the nearby Down hills, the open grassy slopes where farmers first bred these sheep. So the name tells us it is a large, hornless 'sheep breed' from those hills, known for good meat and wool.