merino sheep vs merino

merino sheep and merino both are nouns.

Word	Noun	Adjective	Verb	Adverb
merino sheep	Yes	No	No	No
merino	Yes	No	No	No

As nouns, merino sheep and merino are synonyms defined as:

merino sheep and merino: white sheep originating in Spain and producing a heavy fleece of exceptional quality

merino sheep (noun)	merino (noun)
white sheep originating in Spain and producing a heavy fleece of exceptional quality	white sheep originating in Spain and producing a heavy fleece of exceptional quality