cow

¹

[kou]

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.

cow

²

[kou]

verb (used with object)

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

   Synonyms: bully, scare, terrorize

cow

¹

/ 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

cow

²

/ kaʊ /

verb

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

Other Word Forms

• cowlike adjective

Word History and Origins

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”

Word History and Origins

Origin of cow¹

Old English cū; related to Old Norse kӯr, Old High German kuo, Latin bōs, Greek boūs, Sanskrit gāŭs

Origin of cow²

C17: from Old Norse kūga to oppress, related to Norwegian kue, Swedish kuva

Idioms and Phrases

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.

More idioms and phrases containing cow

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

Example Sentences

A woman died after being trampled by a herd of cows while walking her dog on Exmoor, an inquest was told.

Read more on BBC

Nevertheless, Beyem Seyo pack members continued to feast on the valley’s ample supply of cows, which are fatty, tasty and relatively easy to catch.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

His ways of coping include going for walks along the beach, playing golf or stroking his highland cows.

Read more on BBC

Christian Lovell, a cattle rancher in Illinois, said parts of his farm that were lush and grassy when he was a child have now dried up, limiting where his cows can graze.

Read more on BBC

Among them is one unusual microbe that produces methane -- a gas more often associated with cows and landfills than humans.

Read more on Science Daily

Related Words

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