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roast lamb

roast lamb

1 1.6
Meat from a young sheep that is cooked in an oven or over a fire until brown
  • noun
  • /roʊst læm/
translation icon : cordero asado
  • "I got some roast lamb from the butcher."
  • roast lamb and cheese
  • eating roast lamb

Examples

  • "I ate roast lamb like that in Greece," I tell her.

    Fiction book (1990)
  • Estella came in with a platter of roast lamb.

    Fiction book (1999)
  • Uh, my mom makes roast lamb.

  • There was roast lamb for lunch.

    Fiction book (1999)
  • - Oh, I've just remembered, I really like roast lamb.

  • I made roast lamb with rosemary and tapenade.

  • Roast lamb, he guessed, sniffing the fragrant air.

    Fiction book (1990)
  • She mentions something about roast lamb, and the butcher is silent for a moment, then motions for us to come behind the counter and follow him.

    Fiction book (1990)
  • We—my wife Soph and I—met his mother, who approved of our children and feasted us on roast lamb whenever we were all in London.

    Academic text (1994)
  • This Sunday, we are having roast lamb as the main course for dinner.

Synonyms

lamb
vsroast lamb
133 1.0

Meat from a young sheep for eating

is specifically meat cooked by roasting or a cut fit for roasting
rack of lamb
vsroast lamb
8 3.4

A cut of lamb from the ribs often roasted and served whole or as chops

is the general roast meaning, not only that section
leg of lamb
vsroast lamb
6 1.0

A back leg of a young sheep cooked and served as a roast

refers broadly to meat roasted or fit for roasting, not only this cut
gigot
vsroast lamb
  • UK
5 9.9

A leg of lamb that people roast to eat

is the general roast meat rather than this specific hind-leg cut
lamb roast
vsroast lamb
1 2.0

A large piece of lamb cooked whole in an oven

is the general idea of meat cooked by roasting or suitable for it
crown roast
vsroast lamb
1 5.5

A round cooked meat made from lamb ribs arranged like a crown

is the general roasted meat idea, not this special circular presentation
saddle of lamb
vsroast lamb
  • Specialized
6.7

A cut of lamb with the backbone and meat on both sides, roasted as one piece

is the general roasted meat idea, not limited to this joint
loin of lamb
vsroast lamb
3.5

A tender cut of meat from the back of a young sheep often roasted or grilled

is about meat roasted as a dish rather than just a tender cut
breast of lamb
vsroast lamb
4.1

A cut of lamb with the breastbone and meat around it, often roasted or used in stews

is about meat roasted as a whole, not only this small fatty cut

How Filling

leg of lamb
6 1.0
roast lamb
1 1.6
chop
288 1.8

Surface Forms

roast lamb singular
roast lambs plural

Morphology

roast + lamb

The meaning 'lamb that is cooked by roasting' is directly and compositionally derived from 'roast' (to cook using oven or open-fire heat) modifying 'lamb' (meat from a young sheep). This is a straightforward modifier+noun phrase following common cross-linguistic cooking terminology, so a B1 learner who knows both words will understand the MWE.

Etymology

Roast lamb comes from a simple food picture: lamb cooked by roast, that is browned near a hot fire or in an oven. So it means the 'lamb that is cooked by roasting', the dish you eat.