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

See Examples For:

livestock

Cattle and other ruminant livestock contribute to climate change by releasing methane as they digest plants.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 5, 2026

The supply shortage has driven up livestock prices, and in turn, pushed beef prices to record highs.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 1, 2026

Moist vegetation needs to be planted among the pines, he said, and bigger fire buffer zones are needed on each town’s outer edges, such as ball fields or livestock pastures.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 30, 2026

Several other cheeses are expected to receive similar waivers, allowing farmers to feed livestock with grass and hay brought in from outside their strict geographical zone.

From BBC ● Aug. 27, 2026

The robots worked the fields and machines and livestock, their bodies shining in the sun, shimmering in the heat.

From "The Wild Robot Escapes" by Peter Brown

Related Words

• herd
• oxen