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”; cf. bovine, gaur

Origin of cow²

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

Explanation

If it lives on a farm, makes a mooing sound, and produces milk, it is probably a cow. Most people would immediately identify a cow, the large, cud-chewing female of what is known as "cattle." Cows are typically domesticated farm animals, though the females of wilder bovine relatives are also called cows. The verb form of cow, "to frighten or subdue," comes from the docile nature of most cows — they are fairly easy to intimidate, or easily cowed. The Old English root is cu, from the Indo-European gwous, which might have developed from the sound that cows make.

Example Sentences

In 1982, cartoonist Gary Larson introduced a famous Far Side comic called Cow Tools.

From Science Daily • Mar. 26, 2026

A full quarter of this team knows how to get their hands on a Spotted Cow.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 13, 2026

There is also an anonymous reward tip line called Operation Cow Thief.

From Barron's • Feb. 13, 2026

On Friday, food manufacturer Danone recalled batches of its Aptamil and Cow & Gate baby formula products over concerns they contain a toxin that made them unsafe for babies to drink.

From BBC • Feb. 7, 2026

In another minute the Red Cow had landed on the earth again.

From "Mary Poppins" by P. L. Travers

Related Words

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