cow

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Contents

English [edit]

A cow (sense 1)

Pronunciation [edit]

Etymology 1 [edit]

From Middle English cou, cu, from Old English cū (“cow”), from Proto-Germanic *kūz (“cow”), from Proto-Indo-European *gʷṓws (“cow”). Cognate with Scots coo (“cow”), North Frisian ko, kø (“cow”), Eastern Frisian ku (“cow”), West Frisian ko (“cow”), Dutch koe (“cow”), Low German Koh, Koo, Kau (“cow”), German Kuh (“cow”), Swedish ko (“cow”), Norwegian ku (“cow”), Icelandic kýr (“cow”), Latin bōs (“ox, bull, cow”), Armenian կով.

Noun [edit]

Wikipedia has an article on:

Wikipedia cow (plural cows, cattle; or ky, kye, or kine (archaic or dialectal))

  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 meat of such animals as food (more commonly called beef).
  4. The female of larger species of mammal, including bovines, moose, whales, seals, hippos, rhinos, manatees, and elephants.
  5. (derogatory, informal) A woman who is considered despicable in some way, especially one considered to be fat, lazy, ugly, argumentative, mean or spiteful.
  6. (informal) Anything that is annoyingly difficult, awkward or graceless.
    That website is a real cow to navigate.
  7. (informal) A conniption fit or hissy fit; a state of agitation (only in the phrase have a cow).
  8. (mining) A wedge or brake to stop a machine or car; a chock.
    (Can we find and add a quotation of Knight to this entry?)
Synonyms [edit]
Antonyms [edit]
  • (female domesticated ox or other bovine): bull (male, uncastrated), ox or steer (male, castrated), heifer (female, immature)
See also [edit]
Derived terms [edit]
terms derived from "cow"
Translations [edit]
female domesticated ox or other bovine
any domestic bovine regardless of sex or age
female of various species of mammal
derogatory: despicable woman
informal: anything annoyingly difficult
The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables, removing any numbers. Numbers do not necessarily match those in definitions. See instructions at Help:How to check translations.
Translations to be checked

See also [edit]

Etymology 2 [edit]

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

Verb [edit]

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

  1. (transitive) To intimidate. Found primarily in the passive voice.
    Con artists are not cowed by the law.
Translations [edit]
to intimidate

Etymology 3 [edit]

Noun [edit]

cow (plural cows)

  1. (UK, dialect) A chimney cowl.
    (Can we find and add a quotation of Charles Dickens, The Pickwick Papers to this entry?)

Anagrams [edit]

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