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; 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

"In some areas, unserviced by regular public transport, they have to hitch a ride, sometimes travel the last mile on tractors or bullock carts," she added.

From BBC • Aug. 7, 2021

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

From New York Times • Oct. 10, 2019

That same year the Indian government announced it would also be spending $6bn on bullock cart research, with the idea of entering the white heat of a new industrial age via more efficient bullock carts.

From The Guardian • Jan. 19, 2018

“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

And yet there were days when Boori Ma insisted that she had come to Calcutta on a bullock cart.

From "Interpreter of Maladies" by Jhumpa Lahiri