heifer

[hef-er]

noun

1. a young cow over one year old that has not produced a calf.

heifer

/ ˈhɛfə /

noun

1. a young cow

Word History and Origins

Origin of heifer¹

First recorded before 900; Middle English hayfre, heighfer, Old English hēa(h)f(o)re; of uncertain origin; perhaps equivalent to hēah “high” + -fore (perhaps akin to Greek póris “heifer”); high ( def. )

Word History and Origins

Origin of heifer¹

Old English heahfore; related to Greek poris calf; see _high

Example Sentences

Because ranchers faced feed costs that consumed the value of their livestock, they sold off their herds or accelerated the slaughter of cows and heifers, creating a temporary surplus that compromised future supply.

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Daddy would wake up in the middle of the night because somehow while he was sleeping he would hear a heifer—a cow— moaning because she was in labor.

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The heifer has now been returned home, and is said to be "fit and well".

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The team started with a group of 20 Holstein dairy heifers ranging from three to six months old, who had previous experience in the cattle chute area and with human handling.

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His brother, David Workman, killed in a fall off a cliff as he rode a mule in the dark in search of a lost heifer.

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