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cow

1
[ kou ]
/ kaʊ /
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See synonyms for: cow / cowed / cowing / cows on Thesaurus.com
noun, plural cows, (Archaic) kine. [kahyn] /kaɪn/
the mature female of a bovine animal, especially of the genus Bos.
the female of certain other mammals, as elephants, seals, and whales.
Informal. a domestic bovine of either sex and any age.
Slang: Disparaging and Offensive.
  1. a contemptible woman, especially one who is fat, stupid, lazy, etc.
  2. a woman who has a large number of children or is frequently pregnant.
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Idioms about cow

    have a cow, Slang. to become very angry or upset; throw a fit: My mom will have a cow when she hears I'm moving.
    till / until the cows come home, for a long time; forever: You can keep arguing till the cows come home, but I won't change my mind.

Origin of cow

1
First recorded before 900; Middle English cou, cu, Old English cuu, cū; cognate with German Kuh, Dutch koe, Old Norse kȳr, Sanskrit gáuḥ “ox, cow,” Latin bōs “ox, cow,” Greek boûs “ox, cow”; cf. bovine, gaur

OTHER WORDS FROM cow

cow·like, adjective

Words nearby cow

COVID-19, Covilhã, covin, Covina, Covington, cow, cowabunga, cowage, cowal, Cowansville, coward

Other definitions for cow (2 of 2)

cow2
[ kou ]
/ kaʊ /
verb (used with object)
to frighten with threats, violence, etc.; intimidate; overawe.

OTHER WORDS FOR cow

terrorize, scare, bully.
See synonyms for cow on Thesaurus.com

Origin of cow

2
First recorded in 1610–20; perhaps from Old Norse kūga “to oppress, cow”; compare Norwegian kue “to cow”

OTHER WORDS FROM cow

un·cowed, adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Words related to cow

appall, bludgeon, bully, daunt, dishearten, embarrass, faze, frighten, rattle, strong-arm, subdue, terrorize, unnerve, abash, awe, bluster, buffalo, bulldoze, discomfit, disconcert

How to use cow in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for cow (1 of 2)

cow1
/ (kaʊ) /
noun
the mature female of any species of cattle, esp domesticated cattle
the mature female of various other mammals, such as the elephant, whale, and seal
(not in technical use) any domestic species of cattle
informal a disagreeable woman
Australian and NZ slang something objectionable (esp in the phrase a fair cow)
till the cows come home informal for a very long time; effectively for ever

Word Origin for cow

Old English cū; related to Old Norse kӯr, Old High German kuo, Latin bōs, Greek boūs, Sanskrit gāŭs

British Dictionary definitions for cow (2 of 2)

cow2
/ (kaʊ) /
verb
(tr) to frighten or overawe, as with threats

Word Origin for cow

C17: from Old Norse kūga to oppress, related to Norwegian kue, Swedish kuva
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

Other Idioms and Phrases with cow

cow
The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
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