heifer
Americannoun
-
heifers
plural
noun
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of heifer
First recorded before 900; Middle English hayfre, heighfer, Old English hēa(h)f(o)re; of uncertain origin; perhaps equivalent to hēah “high” + -fore (perhaps akin to Greek póris “heifer”); see also high ( def. )
Explanation
A heifer is a young cow. If you work on a farm, you might be tempted to adopt the smallest heifer as your pet, based on cuteness alone. Heifers are female cows who have not yet given birth to a calf. Farmers can raise heifers for dairy or for meat. In the 1830s, heifer, which is pronounced "HEFF-er," was first used as slang for "woman" or "girl." Since then, it took on the meaning of a female who is obese. It is very rude to single people out because of the way they look and so heifer should never be used.
Vocabulary lists containing heifer
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Mythology
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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.
See Examples For:
He had already lost a heifer with weak lungs and feared future reproductive problems.
From Barron's ● Jun. 23, 2026
The heifer has now been returned home, and is said to be "fit and well".
From BBC ● Nov. 16, 2024
His brother, David Workman, killed in a fall off a cliff as he rode a mule in the dark in search of a lost heifer.
From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 27, 2024
Then in June, officials confirmed that wolves killed a heifer on private land in the county.
From Seattle Times ● Aug. 24, 2023
She had shown a perfect flair for dress, for comic hats which made her look like a tipsy heifer.
From "The Once and Future King" by T. H. White
The team started with a group of 20 Holstein dairy heifers ranging from three to six months old, who had previous experience in the cattle chute area and with human handling.
From Science Daily ● Mar. 14, 2024
"The on-farm slaughter of heavily pregnant cows or heifers identified as TB reactors is a harrowing event for all concerned," said NFU Cymru TB Focus Group Chairman Roger Lewis.
From BBC ● Mar. 15, 2023
With the temperature in the mid-90s, the 52-year-old Texan found the bull — whose nickname reflects his owner’s affection for the late Rev. Billy Graham — and 11 heifers cooling under a canopy of trees.
From Seattle Times ● Oct. 2, 2022
Calves, bulls and heifers, they come from breeds that naturally developed long ago in Brazil, England and India.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 9, 2021
The horn and hoof showdown was less a showdown than a show: steers and heifers, sheep and goats, even dogs and cats displayed and judged in tents around the fairgrounds.
From "Bone Gap" by Laura Ruby
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.
