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Synonyms

cow

1 American  
[kou] / kaʊ /

noun

plural

cows,

plural

kine

  1. the mature female of a bovine animal, especially of the genus Bos.

  2. the female of certain other mammals, as elephants, seals, and whales.

  3. Informal. a domestic bovine of either sex and any age.

  4. 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.

idioms

  1. have a cow, to become very angry or upset; throw a fit.

    My mom will have a cow when she hears I'm moving.

  2. 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.
cow 2 American  
[kou] / kaʊ /

verb (used with object)

  1. to frighten with threats, violence, etc.; intimidate; overawe.

    Synonyms:
    bully, scare, terrorize
cow 1 British  
/ kaʊ /

noun

  1. the mature female of any species of cattle, esp domesticated cattle

  2. the mature female of various other mammals, such as the elephant, whale, and seal

  3. (not in technical use) any domestic species of cattle

  4. informal a disagreeable woman

  5. slang something objectionable (esp in the phrase a fair cow )

  6. informal for a very long time; effectively for ever

"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
cow 2 British  
/ kaʊ /

verb

  1. (tr) to frighten or overawe, as with threats

"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
cow More Idioms  

    More idioms and phrases containing cow

Other Word Forms

  • cowlike adjective

Etymology

Origin of cow1

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”; bovine, gaur

Origin of cow2

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

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

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