livestock

American  

[lahyv-stok] / ˈlaɪvˌstɒk /

noun

(used with a singular or plural verb)

1. the horses, cattle, sheep, and other useful animals kept or raised on a farm or ranch.

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livestock British  

/ ˈlaɪvˌstɒk /

noun

1. (functioning as singular or plural) cattle, horses, poultry, and similar animals kept for domestic use but not as pets, esp on a farm or ranch

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Etymology

Origin of livestock

First recorded in 1650–60; live ² + stock

Explanation

The animals you find on a farm are collectively called livestock. Your herd of dairy goats are livestock, but your toy poodle is just a pet. Livestock are distinguished from other animals by the fact that they're domesticated and raised for food or money — if you get wool, milk, meat, or eggs from animals, they're livestock. The word comes from the sense of stock that means "supply for future use" or "sum of money; from the 1500s, this word was also used to mean "movable property of a farm."

Example Sentences

An Indian-flagged ship carrying livestock from Somalia was reported hit and sunk off Oman on May 13 -- all 14 crew were rescued.

From Barron's • May 25, 2026

Once the trees are established, it is hoped livestock can return to the land.

From BBC • May 20, 2026

"Pollution is killing livestock farming and grape harvests, once the backbone of the local economy," he said.

From Barron's • May 15, 2026

Settlers regarded the massive predators as a serious threat to people and livestock and hunted them aggressively, driving the population in the contiguous U.S. to fewer than 1,000 animals.

From Los Angeles Times • May 8, 2026

Army commissary officers, like the one Sam was working for, were buying up a lot of the livestock to feed the troops.

From "My Brother Sam is Dead" by James Lincoln Collier and Christopher Collier

Related Words

• herd
• oxen