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

But the Agriculture Department’s livestock-loss data show that wolf kills account for less than 0.01% of livestock losses across the country.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 15, 2026

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

From Barron's • May 15, 2026

The ship was carrying livestock "when a fire reportedly broke out onboard, forcing the crew to abandon ship before the vessel sank," Vanguard said.

From BBC • May 14, 2026

An expert in livestock welfare, she said that handlers can tap, push and nudge animals.

From Los Angeles Times • May 12, 2026

The advance of cattle, sheep, and goats halted for 2,000 years at the northern edge of the Serengeti Plains, while new types of human economies and livestock breeds were being developed.

From "Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies" by Jared M. Diamond

Related Words

• herd
• oxen