[Elamur Dictionary](https://md.dictionary.elamur.ai/free/en/) · [this page in HTML](https://dictionary.elamur.ai/free/en/english/wether/)

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# wether

noun (a wether, wethers)

«wether» in the English dictionary: everyday — its meanings, how the lessons use it, and examples, each with its tree on Mova.

## Everyday

A wether is a male sheep (or goat) that has been castrated, so it cannot become a father; farmers keep wethers for wool or meat. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/W/wether/#m1)

### In the lessons

In farming lessons and old country stories, «wether» is one of the words for sheep: ewe (female), ram (male), lamb (young), wether (castrated male). The word «bellwether» comes from a wether wearing a bell that led the flock; today a «bellwether» is something that shows which way things are going. Phrases: «a flock of wethers», «bellwether».

### Examples

- The farmer kept the wethers for their wool. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/W/wether/#x1)
- A ewe is a female sheep, a ram is a male, and a wether is a castrated male. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/W/wether/#x2)
- The old shepherd hung a bell on the leading wether. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/W/wether/#x3)
- Wethers are usually calmer than rams. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/W/wether/#x4)
- The wethers grazed on the hillside. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/W/wether/#x5)
- This town is a bellwether: whoever wins here often wins the election. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/W/wether/#x6)

### Note

Countable. Say «WETH-er», with the soft «th» as in «the». Homophone trap: «wether» (sheep), «weather» (rain, sun), «whether» (if) — all sound the same. A rare farming word.

## On Mova

- [Trees and pragmatics of «wether» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/W/wether/): every meaning and example parsed by Mova, with its dependency tree and frames.
- [«wether» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/w/wether.html) on Mova free.