bovine

[ boh-vahyn, -vin, -veen ]

/ ˈboʊ vaɪn, -vɪn, -vin /

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR bovine ON THESAURUS.COM

adjective

of or relating to the subfamily Bovinae, which includes cattle, buffalo, and kudus.

oxlike; cowlike.

stolid; dull.

noun

a bovine animal.

RELATED WORDS

cow, oxen

Nearby words

Origin of bovine

1810–20; < Late Latin bovīnus of, pertaining to oxen or cows, equivalent to Latin bov- (stem of bōs) ox + -īnus -ine¹

Related formsbo·vine·ly, adverbbo·vin·i·ty

[boh-vin-i-tee] /boʊˈvɪn ɪ ti/, noun

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for bovine

He sat before a wall full of badges, in a big swivel chair, his bovine features set in mistrustful concentration.
The Strange and Mysterious Death of Mrs. Jerry Lee Lewis|Richard Ben Cramer|January 11, 2014|DAILY BEAST
This miniaturized gym routine enabled the scientists to grow usable quantities of bovine muscle—otherwise known as beef.
The $330,000 Fake Burger|Nico Hines|August 5, 2013|DAILY BEAST
Host Joe Rogan gleefully watches the contestants gag and struggle through the bovine brains until one young man quits altogether.
‘Fear Factor’ Donkey Semen, More Gross Things Eaten on TV (Video)|Melissa Leon|February 3, 2012|DAILY BEAST
A star is born, another goes down courtesy of a synonym for bovine rabies, and the judges try but fail to steal the show.
7 Best Moments from the Scripps National Spelling Bee|The Daily Beast Video|May 29, 2009|DAILY BEAST

The normal temperature of the bovine is 101 to 102 F., which is higher than that of the horse.
Special Report on Diseases of Cattle|U.S. Department of Agriculture
Of the two, the bovine is much the more virulent when inoculated into experimental animals.
Outlines of dairy bacteriology|H. L. Russell
Why were their bovine eyes gazing blankly ahead of them at nothing?
Abroad at Home|Julian Street
Although not an expert at climbing, I shinned aloft like a squirrel, and for a moment expected the bovine to follow.
On a Donkey's Hurricane Deck|R. Pitcher Woodward
It developed that the bovine Mrs. Levy and the tell-tale Mrs. Levine had gone back that morning.
Comrade Yetta|Albert Edwards

British Dictionary definitions for bovine

bovine

/ (ˈbəʊvaɪn) /

adjective

of, relating to, or belonging to the Bovini (cattle), a bovid tribe including domestic cattle

(of people) dull; sluggish; stolid

noun

any animal belonging to the Bovini

Derived Formsbovinely, adverb

Word Origin for bovine

C19: from Late Latin bovīnus concerning oxen or cows, from Latin bōs ox, cow

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for bovine

bovine

adj.

1817, from French bovin (14c.), from Late Latin bovinus, from Latin bos (genitive bovis) "ox, cow," from PIE *gwous- (see cow (n.)). Figurative sense of "inert and stupid" is from 1855.

Science definitions for bovine

bovine

[ bō′vīn′ ]

Characteristic of or resembling cows or cattle.