cow

Definition from Wiktionary, a free dictionary

A cow (sense 1)

[edit] English

[edit] Pronunciation

• enPR: kou, IPA: /kaʊ/, SAMPA: /kaU/
•  Audio (US)^{help, file}
• Rhymes: -aʊ

[edit] Etymology 1

From Old English cū, from Proto-Germanic *kūz, from Proto-Indo-European *gʷōus.

Cognate with West Frisian ko (including the irregular plural kij, similar to archaic English kine), Dutch koe, German Kuh, Swedish ko; and, from Indo-European, with Ancient Greek βοῦς (bous), Latin bōs, Persian گاو (gāv), Armenian կով (kov), Russian говядо and Latvian govs.

Remotely cognate to beef and bovine via Indo-European, through Latin bōs.

[edit] Noun

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Cow

Wikipedia

cow (cows or kine (archaic))

1. A female domesticated ox or other bovine, especially an adult after she has had a calf.
2. More generally, any domestic bovine regardless of sex or age.
3. The female of larger species of mammal, including bovines, moose, whales, seals, hippos, rhinos, manatees, and elephants.
4. (British, derogatory, informal) A woman who is considered despicable in some way, especially one considered to be fat, lazy, ugly, argumentative, mean or spiteful.
5. (informal) Anything that is annoyingly difficult, awkward or graceless.

   That website is a real cow to navigate.

6. (informal) A conniption fit or hissy fit; a state of agitation (only in the phrase have a cow).

[edit] Synonyms

• (derogatory: despicable woman): bitch
• (informal: anything annoyingly difficult): bastard, bitch, bugger (UK)

[edit] Antonyms

• (adult female domesticated ox): bull (male, uncastrated), ox or steer (male, castrated), heifer (female, immature)

[edit] Derived terms

[edit] Translations

[edit] Related terms

[edit] Etymology 2

Probably from Old Norse kúga (“‘to oppress’”) ( > Danish kue, Swedish kuva), cf. Icelandic kúfa (“‘to set on top’”).

[edit] Verb

to cow (third-person singular simple present cows, present participle cowing, simple past and past participle cowed)

1. (transitive) To intimidate.

   Con artists are not cowed by the law.

[edit] Translations

[edit] Anagrams

• Alphagram: cow
• CWO