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.
Photographs from the 1960s and 70s show scientists carrying rockets and satellites on cycles or even a bullock cart.
From BBC ● Nov. 3, 2024
They crunch under the wheels of bullock carts, startling the oxen.
From New York Times ● Oct. 10, 2019
That same year the Indian government announced it would also be spending $6bn on bullock cart research, with the idea of entering the white heat of a new industrial age via more efficient bullock carts.
From The Guardian ● Jan. 19, 2018
The neighbouring state of Karnataka has seen a revival of buffalo races known as "kambala", and Maharashtra has lifted its ban on bullock cart races.
From BBC ● Jan. 1, 2018
My husband, seated already on the bullock cart with the tin trunk full of cooking vessels and my saris next to him.
From "Nectar in a Sieve" by Kamala Markandaya
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.
