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

Example Sentences

He added planting trees was as important for the local community as it was for livestock.

From BBC • Mar. 31, 2026

MWT chief executive Graham Makepeace-Warne said the woodland benefitted people's physical and mental health, adding livestock may be kept on the land in future.

From BBC • Mar. 31, 2026

To limit the spread of the disease, the authorities have banned livestock farmers from allowing their animals to graze freely.

From Barron's • Mar. 30, 2026

Their stand-in renditions spared livestock and human attendants from sacrifice.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 30, 2026

In human societies possessing domestic animals, livestock fed more people in four distinct ways: by furnishing meat, milk, and fertilizer and by pulling plows.

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

Related Words

• herd
• oxen