heifer

American  

[hef-er] / ˈhɛf ər /

noun

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

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heifer British  

/ ˈhɛfə /

noun

1. a young cow

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Etymology

Origin of heifer

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. )

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.

From Los Angeles Times

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.

From Literature

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

From BBC

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.

From Science Daily

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.

From Los Angeles Times