cattle

American  

[kat-l] / ˈkæt l /

noun

(used with a plural verb)

1. bovine animals, especially domesticated members of the genus Bos.

2. Bible. such animals together with other domesticated quadrupeds, as horses, swine, etc.

3. Disparaging. human beings, especially in a large, unruly crowd.

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cattle British  

/ ˈkætəl /

noun

1. bovid mammals of the tribe Bovini (bovines), esp those of the genus Bos

2. Also called: domestic cattle.  any domesticated bovine mammals, esp those of the species Bos taurus (domestic ox)

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Other Word Forms

• cattleless adjective

Etymology

Origin of cattle

1175–1225; Middle English catel < Old North French: (personal) property < Medieval Latin capitāle wealth; capital ¹

Example Sentences

I gazed at its marshes and rice fields, at kingfishers hovering to dive, cattle egrets dotting the landscape with white, and weaverbird nests dangling from trees like Christmas decorations.

From Literature

South Africa in January rolled out a 10-year drive to vaccinate 20 million cattle against the disease in an outbreak Steenhuisen described as the "worst ever".

From Barron's

U.S. beef cattle inventory fell 1% over the past year to 27.6 million heads, according to a Jan. 1 estimate from the National Agricultural Statistics Services.

From Barron's

Across Asia, Africa, Australia, and South America, they provide grazing land for hundreds of millions of cattle, sheep, and other livestock.

From Science Daily

Thought to be made from a cattle femur, this decorated Anglo-Saxon spindle whorl, used to provide weight while spinning yarn, was unearthed from farmland near Bishopstone, Buckinghamshire.

From BBC

Related Words

• herd
• oxen