aurochs

noun

au·rochs | \ˈau̇-ˌräks,

ˈȯr-ˌäks\

plural aurochs

Definition of aurochs

: an extinct large long-horned wild ox (Bos primigenius) of Europe that is the ancestor of domestic cattle

Examples of aurochs in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

For millennia the aurochs had turned grass into meat for us hunters. — Bob Gathany, AL.com, "Up in the air at the Huntsville Community Kite Festival," 4 Mar. 2018 Those bovine descendants of the aurochs helped us invent civilization. — Bob Gathany, AL.com, "Up in the air at the Huntsville Community Kite Festival," 4 Mar. 2018 The aurochs that humans once painted on caves, for example, and later domesticated into modern cattle, is long since extinct—but feral cattle run wild from Hawaii to Hong Kong. — Bill Hatcher, National Geographic, "These Giant Invasive Beasts May Actually Be Good for the Planet," 6 Oct. 2017 Extinction aside, the aurochs appears to be thriving. — Jonathon Keats, Discover Magazine, "Return of the Aurochs," 6 Feb. 2017 Horses, aurochs (ancient bison), woolly mammoths and rhinoceroses were also around. — Joanna Klein, New York Times, "In the Caves of Ancient Humans, Stories Told Dot by Dot," 7 Mar. 2017 Goderie now has about 500 animals at various stages of becoming modern-day aurochs. — Jonathon Keats, Discover Magazine, "Return of the Aurochs," 6 Feb. 2017 The aurochs, like the one found on the limestone slab, is a common theme in Aurignacian art, including at Chauvet Cave, which contains the oldest known figurative art in the world. — Jason Daley, Smithsonian, "Dig This: Researchers Found a 38,000-Year-Old Engraving in France," 31 Jan. 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'aurochs.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Keep scrolling for more

Learn More about aurochs

Dictionary Entries near aurochs

Statistics for aurochs

Look-up Popularity

Time Traveler for aurochs

The first known use of aurochs was in 1755

See more words from the same year

WORD OF THE DAY

superjacent

lying above or upon

Test Your Vocabulary

Words from Greek and Roman Mythology Quiz

Boreal comes from the name of the ancient Greek god of which wind?

Can you spell these 10 commonly misspelled words?

TAKE THE QUIZ

SCRABBLE® Sprint

Test Your Knowledge - and learn some interesting things along the way.

TAKE THE QUIZ

Words at Play

Ask the Editors

Word Games