sacred cow
an individual, organization, institution, etc., considered to be exempt from criticism or questioning.
Origin of sacred cow
1Words Nearby sacred cow
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
How to use sacred cow in a sentence
If reinventing an iconic magazine means taking aim at music’s sacred cows and finding ways to shout from the rooftops, both Noah Shachtman and Gus Wenner seem ready to do just that.
‘More immediate, more visceral’ and a lot tougher on Eric Clapton: A plan for reviving Rolling Stone | Margaret Sullivan | October 17, 2021 | Washington PostThey were very, very dubious to me and very protective of their sacred cows, so it was a real rude awakening.
Musical adventurer Rufus Wainwright returns to touring, plays D.C. Sept. 28 | Joey DiGuglielmo | September 16, 2021 | Washington BladeCity Councilman Sean Elo-Rivera wants to tip the sacred cow that is the People’s Ordinance.
“She took the sacred cow and made a hybrid woman cow which is called Holy Daughter,” Adicéam said.
Additionally, there is no upside in our media culture to challenging this sacred cow.
Abortion Rights Community Has Become the NRA of the Left | Kirsten Powers | May 6, 2013 | THE DAILY BEAST
"A sacred cow since the late '80s, now it's run its course," Reed said.
Ethanol Subsidies: Congress Sacrifices a Sacred Cow | Eleanor Clift | June 17, 2011 | THE DAILY BEASTWe had to stop before every tree, every pagoda, every sacred tank and bush, and at last before a sacred cow.
From the Caves and Jungles of Hindostan | Helena Pretrovna BlavatskyAnd how in the name of the sacred cow did the deed get in the seat of this one?
The Winning Touchdown | Lester ChadwickThat magneto-ionic thing the sacred cow's been talking about—they invented that real quick to cover up.
Where I Wasn't Going | Walt RichmondSometimes I fancied myself buried in one of the pyramids of Egypt, breaking my shins against the bones of a sacred cow.
Lectures on Art | Washington AllstonTo them the Symphony is a sacred cow and they regarded the older members in the light of special pets.
The World's Great Men of Music | Harriette Brower
British Dictionary definitions for sacred cow
informal a person, institution, custom, etc, unreasonably held to be beyond criticism
Origin of sacred cow
1Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Cultural definitions for sacred cow
Figuratively, anything that is beyond criticism: “That housing project is a real sacred cow: the city council won't hear of abandoning it.” In India, followers of Hinduism consider cows sacred and do not eat them because they believe the animals contain the souls of dead persons.
The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
Other Idioms and Phrases with sacred cow
A person or thing immune to criticism or questioning, as in The rules governing the press conference have become a sacred cow in this administration. This term alludes to the honored status of cows in Hinduism, where they are a symbol of God's generosity to humankind. It has been used figuratively since about 1900.
The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
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