caora

From Middle Irish cáera, from Old Irish cauru,^[1] from Proto-Celtic *kaɸerūxs.

• (Munster, Connacht) IPA^(key): /ˈkiːɾˠə/^[2]
• (Ulster) IPA^(key): /ˈkiːɾˠə/, (older) /ˈkɯːɾˠə/; (less common) /ˈkeːrə/, (older) /ˈkɤːrə/^[3]

caora f (genitive singular caorach, nominative plural caoirigh)

1. sheep
2. ewe

• Archaic/dialectal dative plural: caoraibh

• athchaora
• buachaill caorach
• caora mhóradharcach

• Ó Dónaill, Niall (1977) “caora”, in Foclóir Gaeilge–Béarla, Dublin: An Gúm, →ISBN
• Dinneen, Patrick S. (1904) “caora”, in Foclóir Gaeḋilge agus Béarla, 1st edition, Dublin: Irish Texts Society, page 117
• de Bhaldraithe, Tomás (1959) “caora”, in English-Irish Dictionary, An Gúm
• “caora”, in New English-Irish Dictionary, Foras na Gaeilge, 2013-2024

See the etymology of the corresponding lemma form.

• (Munster) IPA^(key): /ˈkeːɾˠə/
• (Connacht) IPA^(key): /ˈkiːɾˠə/
• (Ulster) IPA^(key): /ˈkiːɾˠə/, (older) /ˈkɯːɾˠə/

caora

1. nominative/dative plural of caor

From Middle Irish cáera, from Old Irish cauru, from Proto-Celtic *kaɸerūxs.

• IPA^(key): /ˈkʰɯːɾə/

caora f (genitive singular caorach, plural caoraich)

1. sheep

   am bun nan caorach ― looking after the sheep

   o chrò nan caorach ― from the sheep-fold

2. (derogatory) sheepish person

• buachaill-chaorach (“shepherd”)
• cù-chaorach (“sheepdog”)
• an sionnach ann an craiceann na caorach (“wolf in sheep's clothing”)

• Edward Dwelly (1911) “caora”, in Faclair Gàidhlig gu Beurla le Dealbhan [The Illustrated Gaelic–English Dictionary]‎^[1], 10th edition, Edinburgh: Birlinn Limited, →ISBN
• MacLennan, Malcolm (1925) A Pronouncing and Etymological Dictionary of the Gaelic Language, Edinburgh: J. Grant, →OCLC
• Gregory Toner, Sharon Arbuthnot, Máire Ní Mhaonaigh, Marie-Luise Theuerkauf, Dagmar Wodtko, editors (2019), “cáera”, in eDIL: Electronic Dictionary of the Irish Language