cow

¹ American  

[kou] / kaʊ /

noun

plural

cows,

plural

kine

1. the mature female of a bovine animal, especially of the genus Bos.

2. the female of certain other mammals, as elephants, seals, and whales.

3. Informal. a domestic bovine of either sex and any age.

4. Slang: Disparaging and Offensive.

   1. a contemptible woman, especially one who is fat, stupid, lazy, etc.

   2. a woman who has a large number of children or is frequently pregnant.

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idioms

1. have a cow, to become very angry or upset; throw a fit.

   My mom will have a cow when she hears I'm moving.

2. till / until the cows come home, for a long time; forever.

   You can keep arguing till the cows come home, but I won't change my mind.

cow ² American  

[kou] / kaʊ /

verb (used with object)

1. to frighten with threats, violence, etc.; intimidate; overawe.

   Synonyms:

   bully, scare, terrorize

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cow ¹ British  

/ kaʊ /

noun

1. the mature female of any species of cattle, esp domesticated cattle

2. the mature female of various other mammals, such as the elephant, whale, and seal

3. (not in technical use) any domestic species of cattle

4. informal a disagreeable woman

5. slang something objectionable (esp in the phrase a fair cow )

6. informal for a very long time; effectively for ever

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cow ² British  

/ kaʊ /

verb

1. (tr) to frighten or overawe, as with threats

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cow More Idioms  

More idioms and phrases containing cow

• cash cow
• holy cow
• sacred cow
• till the cows come home

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Other Word Forms

• cowlike adjective

Etymology

Origin of cow¹

First recorded before 900; Middle English cou, cu, Old English cuu, cū; cognate with German Kuh, Dutch koe, Old Norse kȳr, Sanskrit gáuḥ “ox, cow,” Latin bōs “ox, cow,” Greek boûs “ox, cow”; bovine, gaur

Origin of cow²

First recorded in 1610–20; perhaps from Old Norse kūga “to oppress, cow”; compare Norwegian kue “to cow”

Example Sentences

But he insisted that he would not be cowed by antisemitism.

From Barron's

Every passing vehicle had to be sprayed with a chemical solution to stop the spread of the virus, which can remain up to six months in cow dung.

From Barron's

It is also a different variation than the ones found in dairy cows and commercial poultry.

From Los Angeles Times

The cow was always earmarked to be processed as beef, so Lee said the art collective was employing an extreme way to offer people a chance to change course ahead of time.

From The Wall Street Journal

The winners of last year's Ig Nobels included scientists who painted zebra stripes on cows to fend off flies and others who showed how drinking alcohol can help people speak a foreign language.

From Barron's

Related Words

• bludgeon
• bully
• daunt
• dishearten
• embarrass
• faze
• frighten
• rattle
• strong-arm
• subdue
• terrorize
• unnerve