boeuf

See also: bœuf

English

Etymology

Borrowed from French bœuf (“ox”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈbɜːf/
• Rhymes: -ɜːf

Noun

boeuf (plural boeufs)

1. A bovine.
   • 1601, C[aius] Plinius Secundus [i.e., Pliny the Elder], “[Book VIII.] Of Scythian beasts, and those that are bred in the North parts.”, in Philemon Holland, transl., The Historie of the World. Commonly Called, The Naturall Historie of C. Plinius Secundus. […], 1st tome, London: […] Adam Islip, →OCLC, pages 199–200:

     Howbeit, that country bringeth forth certain kinds of goodly great wild bœufes: to wit, the Biſontes, mained with a collar, like Lions: and the Vri, a mightie ſtrong beaſt, and a ſwift: which the ignorant people call Buffles, whereas indeed the Buffle is bred in Affrica, and carieth ſome reſemblance of a calfe rather, or a ſtag.

Related terms

• sang de boeuf

French

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /bœf/

• Audio:

  (file)

• Audio (Paris):

  (file)

Noun

boeuf m (plural boeufs)

1. nonstandard spelling of bœuf

Usage notes

• The œ ligature is often replaced in contemporary French with oe (the œ character does not appear on AZERTY keyboards), but this is nonstandard.

Further reading

• “boeuf”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012.