ram; male sheep
Refers specifically to a male sheep. The female counterpart is 牝羊 (めひつじ).
There is a big ram on the farm.
The ram's horns are magnificent.
羊 is the general term for sheep, without specifying gender.
Standard kanji spelling for a male sheep.
Kana spelling is common in everyday writing, especially when the kanji are not needed.
Alternate kanji spelling; 雄 also means 'male'.
Compound of 牡 (お, 'male') + 羊 (ひつじ, 'sheep'). The reading お is the native Japanese prefix for male animals, and ひつじ is the native word for sheep.