CAFO

abbreviation or noun

CA·​FO ˈkā-(ˌ)fō How to pronounce CAFO (audio)
plural CAFOs
: a concentrated animal feeding operation
CAFOs are agricultural facilities that house and feed a large number of animals in a confined area for 45 days or more during any 12-month period.Cynthia Sewell

Examples of CAFO in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web At the facility—a concentrated animal-feeding operation, or CAFO—pregnant pigs were confined to gestation crates, metal enclosures so small that the sows could barely lie down. Elizabeth Barber, The New Yorker, 16 Dec. 2023 As the meat industry industrialized, Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations (CAFO) became a large concern because of how animals were mistreated. Jon Stojan, USA TODAY, 6 Sep. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'CAFO.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1995, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of CAFO was in 1995

Dictionary Entries Near CAFO

Cite this Entry

“CAFO.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/CAFO. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

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