bell cow

noun

1. a cow, especially the lead cow of a herd, having a bell attached to a collar around its neck so that the herd can be located easily.

Word History and Origins

Origin of bell cow¹

An Americanism dating back to 1855–60

Example Sentences

It’s difficult to devote both the time and resources to the latter when your bell cow sports program is staggering.

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Without their bell cow, Minnesota saw three running backs and quarterback Athan Kaliakmanis get between 10 and 15 carries apiece.

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Running backs coach Kiel McDonald made it clear in the past he prefers to have a bell cow back in place, even if multiple running backs sometimes share the workload during select games.

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Miles Sanders over 13.5 rushing attempts: Sanders was the bell cow for the Eagles all season, averaging 15.2 rush attempts per game, and he had 205 more than any other running back.

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Visitors to “the new aristocratic suburb” dubbed Palm Place would have found one home, an architectural bell cow, standing in an empty field.

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