Soay

British  

/ ˈsəʊeɪ /

noun

1. a breed of small horned sheep having long legs and dark brown wool that is plucked rather than shorn; found mainly on St Kilda where they were probably introduced by the Vikings

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Etymology

Origin of Soay

named after Soay, an island in the St Kilda group, where they were first found

Example Sentences

The couple raise a conservation flock of British Soay sheep whose wool they pluck rather than sheer, and sell to a local fiber artist.

From Seattle Times

Voluntarily evacuated by St Kildans in 1930, the two-time world heritage site and most remote place in the British Isles is now home to a military base, seasonal conservationists, a million seabirds and some endemic species: the Soay and Boreray sheep, and the St Kilda field mouse.

From The Guardian

Students at Exeter’s MSc in animal behaviour spend a week on Lundy Island observing abundant wildlife, including puffins, guillemots, razorbills and kittiwakes, not to mention the island’s rare breed Soay sheep, says programme director Dr Lisa Leaver, an animal behaviour expert with a background in psychology who founded the course in 2003.

From The Guardian

“If I was to say the word ‘soay’ to 100 people, maybe five of them might know what it is,” says Sparham.

From Time

At a June 20 reception for the Prince’s Trust at St James’s Palace, she mentioned to her host that she also raises soay sheep.

From Time