montone
/monˈto.ne/
The English word mutton is translated into Italian as montone.
Montone refers to the flesh of sheep used as food.
Meaning: the flesh of sheep used as food (noun)
Which one should you use?
While montone refers to the meat of an adult male sheep (mutton), agnello is used for the meat of a young sheep (lamb).
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Sicily, locals refer to mutton as muttuni in the Sicilian dialect.
How do you pronounce it?
The word has 3 syllables, with the stress on the second syllable: /monˈto.ne/.
Did you know?
- In Italian, montone is not just a food item but is frequently used as a slang term for a 'stubborn' person or a 'boorish' man.
- The word montone is actually a linguistic traveler from the ancient Gaulish language, rather than originating from Latin.
- Because montone is associated with 'cucina povera', recipes using this meat are often paired with strong, pungent ingredients like wild fennel to mask the strong flavor of the adult sheep.
Examples in context
- Gli algerini amano il montone.Algerians love mutton.Tatoeba #13297433 by Guybrush88, translation #9056061 by Amastan
- Preferisco il montone al manzo.I prefer mutton to beef.Tatoeba #2985243 by Guybrush88, translation #256869 by CK
- Vuoi del montone?Want some mutton?Tatoeba #13344503 by cost_, translation #13344183 by rul
- Ho provato una deliziosa grigliata di montone al picnic di ieri!I tried a delicious grilled mutton at yesterday's picnic!
- Mia nonna fa un ragù strepitoso con carne di pecora adulta.My grandmother makes an amazing ragu with mutton.
- Il macellaio mi ha suggerito di utilizzare la carne di pecora nel mio ragù.The butcher suggested I use mutton in my ragu sauce.
- 4 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Francesco and Martina are looking at a menu in a restaurant.
- FrancescoCosa ne pensi del montone arrosto?What do you think of the roast mutton?
- MartinaNon l'ho mai provato, Francesco.I have never tried it, Francesco.
- FrancescoIl montone è molto saporito qui.The mutton is very flavorful here.
- MartinaAllora ordiniamo quello!Then let's order that!
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry montone, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries montone, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
