heifer
Americannoun
noun
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
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”); see also high ( def. )
Explanation
A heifer is a young cow. If you work on a farm, you might be tempted to adopt the smallest heifer as your pet, based on cuteness alone. Heifers are female cows who have not yet given birth to a calf. Farmers can raise heifers for dairy or for meat. In the 1830s, heifer, which is pronounced "HEFF-er," was first used as slang for "woman" or "girl." Since then, it took on the meaning of a female who is obese. It is very rude to single people out because of the way they look and so heifer should never be used.
Vocabulary lists containing heifer
Unit 3: Compelling Evidence
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Mythology
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
He had already lost a heifer with weak lungs and feared future reproductive problems.
From Barron's • Jun. 23, 2026
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 • Feb. 27, 2024
On that October morning in 2018, Ethan found his father dead in the heifer shed, his raincoat draped neatly over a door nearby.
From New York Times • Apr. 19, 2023
Under strict circumstances in England - but not in Wales - the slaughter process can be delayed if a cow or heifer is in the last 60 days of pregnancy.
From BBC • Mar. 15, 2023
The first hint of it came when the Spot heifer failed to show up one evening at milking time.
From "Old Yeller" by Fred Gipson
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.
