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

The events celebrate farming, rural life and local food and feature competitions where prize livestock is put on show and judged.

From BBC ● Jul. 30, 2026

Department of Agriculture that livestock had been inhumanely slaughtered during a May event at Shahnawaz Ranch for the Muslim holiday Eid al-Adha, and that the operation had sold the meat without required federal inspection.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 30, 2026

Fields and forests have been left unmanaged, with shrubs and plants growing where livestock once grazed.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 29, 2026

Other major sources include methane from livestock such as cattle, deforestation, industrial activity, and waste from sources including landfills.

From Science Daily ● Jul. 28, 2026

“She’s focusing more on teaching agriculture than raising livestock these days,” he says.

From "Marcus Vega Doesn't Speak Spanish" by Pablo Cartaya

Related Words

• herd
• oxen