Cow

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /kaʊ/

Definitions

1. A sizable domesticated animal belonging to the bovine family is primarily raised for its milk and meat while also serving as a symbol of agricultural life and practices
2. A substantial domesticated ruminant known for its role in livestock farming, often utilized for milk and meat production while also representing agricultural culture and economy
3. A large domesticated animal kept for dairy products and beef ; a female individual of various large mammals such as elephants or whales ; to frighten or discourage someone by threats or harsh treatment

Etymology: The most surprising thing about "cow" is that English kept two words for one animal. The ordinary word descends from Old English "cū", and the plural "kine" survived as a fossil of an older grammatical pattern, now found only in poetry, the Bible and dialect. Its plural ending "-en" is the same one that gives "oxen", and "kine" is itself built on a Middle English plural "ky" or "kye", with an extra "-en" added on top, so the form is effectively a double plural. The word's deeper roots are much older. Its relatives include Sanskrit "go", Ancient Greek "boûs" and Latin "bōs", which meant "ox, bull, or cow" and gave English "beef". The same root appears across the Germanic languages, from German "Kuh" to Dutch "koe", which shows how stable the word has been across thousands of years of separation between these speech communities.

Synonyms: bovine, heifer, calf

Antonyms: bull