cow

cow
cow1
—cowlike, adj.
/kow/, n., pl. cows, (Archaic) kine.
1. the mature female of a bovine animal, esp. of the genus Bos.
2. the female of various other large animals, as the elephant or whale.
3. Informal. a domestic bovine of either sex and any age.
4. Slang (disparaging and offensive). a large, obese, and slovenly woman.
5. Offensive. a woman who has a large number of children or is frequently pregnant.
6. till or until the cows come home, for a long time; forever: You can keep arguing till the cows come home, but I won't change my mind.
[bef. 900; ME cou, OE cu; c. G Kuh, D koe, ON kyr, L bos, Gk boûs ox; cf. BOVINE, GAUR]
cow2
/kow/, v.t.
to frighten with threats, violence, etc.; intimidate; overawe.
[1595-1605; < ON kuga to oppress, cow; cf. Dan kue to cow]
Syn. terrorize, scare, bully.

* * *

I
In animal husbandry, the mature female of domesticated cattle.

The name is also applied to the mature female of various, usually large, animals (e.g., elephant, whale, or moose), or, more broadly, to any domestic bovine animal (see bovid) regardless of gender or age.
II
(as used in expressions)
Steller's sea cow

* * *

      in animal husbandry, the mature female of domesticated cattle (q.v.).

* * *


Universalium. 2010.

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  • cow — cow1 [kou] n. [ME cou, cow, pl. kye (southern doubled pl. kyn) < OE cū, pl. cy < IE base * gwou , cow, ox > Sans gauḥ, Gr bous, L bos, OIr bo, Ger kuh] 1. the mature female of domestic cattle (genus Bos), valued for its milk 2. the… …   English World dictionary

  • COW — COW, sigle composé des trois lettres C, O et W, peut faire référence à : Coquimbo au Chili, selon la liste des codes AITA des aéroports, Copy On Write, une stratégie d optimisation utilisée en programmation informatique. Chat Over the World …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Cow — Cow, n. [Prob. from same root as cow, v. t.] (Mining) A wedge, or brake, to check the motion of a machine or car; a chock. Knight. [1913 Webster] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Cow — Cow, n.; pl. {Cows} (kouz); old pl. {Kine} (k[imac]n). [OE. cu, cou, AS. c[=u]; akin to D. koe, G. kuh, OHG. kuo, Icel. k[=y]r, Dan. & Sw. ko, L. bos ox, cow, Gr. boy^s, Skr. g[=o]. [root]223. Cf. {Beef}, {Bovine}, {Bucolic}, {Butter},… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Cow — (kou), n. [See {Cowl} a hood.] A chimney cap; a cowl [1913 Webster] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Cow — Cow, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Cowed} (koud); p. pr. & vb. n. {Cowing}.] [Cf. Icel. kuga, Sw. kufva to check, subdue, Dan. kue. Cf. {Cuff}, v. t.] To depress with fear; to daunt the spirits or courage of; to overawe. [1913 Webster] To vanquish a… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • COW — копирование при записи (англ. Copy on write) COW диалект языка программирования Brainfuck …   Википедия

  • cow — Ⅰ. cow [1] ► NOUN 1) a fully grown female animal of a domesticated breed of ox. 2) the female of certain other large animals, such as the elephant or whale. 3) informal, derogatory a woman. 4) Austral./NZ an unpleasant person or thing. ● …   English terms dictionary

  • cow|er — «KOW uhr», intransitive verb. 1. to crouch or draw back in fear or shame: »The dog cowered under the table after being whipped by its master. SYNONYM(S): cringe, quail. 2. to draw back tremblingly from another s threats or blows. SYNONYM(S):… …   Useful english dictionary

  • cow|ry — cow|rie or cow|ry «KOW ree», noun, plural ries. 1. the brightly colored, smooth shell of a tropical mollusk, used as money in some parts of Africa and Asia: »The cowry, aristocrat among shells, is noted for its high natural polish (Science News… …   Useful english dictionary

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