aurochs

[awr-oks]

noun

plural

aurochs 

1. a large, black European wild ox, Bos primigenius: extinct since 1627.

2. (not used scientifically) the European bison.

aurochs

/ ˈɔːrɒks /

noun

1. Also called: urus. a recently extinct member of the cattle tribe, Bos primigenius, that inhabited forests in N Africa, Europe, and SW Asia. It had long horns and is thought to be one of the ancestors of modern cattle

Word History and Origins

Origin of aurochs¹

1760–70; < German, variant (now obsolete) of Auerochs, Middle High German ūrochse, Old High German ūrohso, equivalent to ūr (cognate with Old English ūr bison) + ohso ox

Word History and Origins

Origin of aurochs¹

C18: from German, from Old High German ūrohso, from ūro bison + ohso _ox

Example Sentences

The engravings, which depict animals such as camels, ibex, equids, gazelles, and aurochs, include 130 highly detailed and life-sized figures, some reaching up to 3 meters long and more than 2 meters tall.

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Sinding, who has extracted ancient DNA from Pleistocene wolves, woolly rhinoceroses and aurochs, was surprised and excited to hear that Colossal Biosciences planned to re-create the dodo.

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Banning offers another take on the bull scene: Rather than cowering with a rattle, the person may be crouching with a lasso, about to capture an aurochs, the extinct ancestor of domesticated cattle.

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Bruno drives his battered Jeep through one of the most history-rich regions on Earth, where cave walls portray the aurochs and woolly mammoth.

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In the distant past, roaming herds of grazing animals like the now-extinct aurochs are thought to have kept trees away from such meadows.

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