cattle
Americannoun
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bovine animals, especially domesticated members of the genus Bos.
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Bible. such animals together with other domesticated quadrupeds, as horses, swine, etc.
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Disparaging. human beings, especially in a large, unruly crowd.
noun
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bovid mammals of the tribe Bovini (bovines), esp those of the genus Bos
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Also called: domestic cattle. any domesticated bovine mammals, esp those of the species Bos taurus (domestic ox)
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of cattle
1175–1225; Middle English catel < Old North French: (personal) property < Medieval Latin capitāle wealth; see capital 1
Explanation
Use the word cattle to talk about a group of cows. A farmer might build a new fence to keep her cattle more safely secured in their pasture. Cattle usually refers to domesticated cows, almost always a large group of them. If you have a small dairy farm with only three or four cows, you'll probably call them "cows." When you're talking about a bigger operation, they're more likely to be called cattle. In the 13th century, the word simply meant "property," from the Medieval Latin capitale, "property or stock." It took about 300 years before cattle meant "cows."
Vocabulary lists containing cattle
African History - Introductory
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"The Americans: Reconstruction to the 21st Century," Vocabulary from Chapter 5
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African History - Middle School and High School
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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.
The New World Screwworm is a fly whose larvae feed on living tissue, and can infect cattle, wildlife, pets and, rarely, people.
From Barron's • Jun. 8, 2026
The cattle empire that turned out to be a giant Ponzi scheme.
From MarketWatch • Jun. 8, 2026
Past screwworm outbreaks imposed major rancher losses beyond cattle deaths, including surveillance and treatment costs.
From Barron's • Jun. 8, 2026
Once the lender got around to a physical check to count cattle and value McClain’s collateral—the first full inspection after more than four years of sending him money—it enumerated only 8,916 animals.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 7, 2026
I was away at boarding schools from the age of six, and when I wasn’t at school I was usually at cattle camp with my brothers and the other men.
From "Facing the Lion" by Joseph Lemasolai Lekuton and Herman Viola
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.
