bullock
Americannoun
-
a gelded bull; steer
-
archaic a bull calf
verb
Etymology
Origin of bullock
First recorded before 1000; Middle English bullok, Old English bulluc; see origin at bull 1, -ock
Explanation
Bullock is another word for a steer or a young bull. Most bullocks are raised for meat production, although some farmers have been known to keep their favorite bullock as a pet. Bullocks are essentially young male cows, and the term usually refers to animals that have been castrated. The terminology varies a lot, though, so while some farmers and ranchers use bullock to mean "young bull," others use it to describe a youthful ox. While cows can be useful as dairy animals, bullocks are generally fattened and sold for beef.
Vocabulary lists containing bullock
Much Ado About Nothing
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George's Marvelous Medicine
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Beyond the Horizon
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
BULLOCK: I just wanted her to be a normal human being.
From Washington Post • Apr. 20, 2020
BULLOCK: Did anyone expect us to make money?
From Washington Post • Apr. 20, 2020
BULLOCK: And then you had us, the motley crew, surrounding him.
From Washington Post • Apr. 20, 2020
BULLOCK: Lord knows what comes out of my head.
From Washington Post • Apr. 20, 2020
BULLOCK, dressed in cream pantsuit, cream hair and cream face is at the wheel of her cream SUV, sipping from a carton of cream.
From The Guardian • Aug. 17, 2010
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
