bullock

American  

[bool-uhk] / ˈbʊl ək /

noun

1. a castrated bull; steer.

2. a young bull.

---

bullock British  

/ ˈbʊlək /

noun

1. a gelded bull; steer

2. archaic a bull calf

---

verb

1. informal (intr) to work hard and long

Etymology

Origin of bullock

First recorded before 1000; Middle English bullok, Old English bulluc; see origin at bull ¹, -ock

Explanation

Bullock is another word for a steer or a young bull. Most bullocks are raised for meat production, although some farmers have been known to keep their favorite bullock as a pet. Bullocks are essentially young male cows, and the term usually refers to animals that have been castrated. The terminology varies a lot, though, so while some farmers and ranchers use bullock to mean "young bull," others use it to describe a youthful ox. While cows can be useful as dairy animals, bullocks are generally fattened and sold for beef.

Example Sentences

Photographs from the 1960s and 70s show scientists carrying rockets and satellites on cycles or even a bullock cart.

From BBC • Nov. 3, 2024

Theoretically, you could wake up in four months’ time looking like a creature of myth, a man or woman who has been cursed with the upper body of a bullock.

From The Guardian • Apr. 4, 2020

They crunch under the wheels of bullock carts, startling the oxen.

From New York Times • Oct. 10, 2019

“They had gathered in their villages, tied up all their things onto bullock carts. There were around 40 carts, a few hundred people,” he said.

From Washington Post • Aug. 14, 2017

My husband, seated already on the bullock cart with the tin trunk full of cooking vessels and my saris next to him.

From "Nectar in a Sieve" by Kamala Markandaya