bovine

1 of 2

adjective

bo·​vine ˈbō-ˌvīn How to pronounce bovine (audio)
-ˌvēn
1
: of, relating to, or resembling bovines and especially the ox or cow
a bovine disease
2
: having qualities (such as placidity or dullness) characteristic of oxen or cows
had a stupid, bovine expression on his face
bovinely adverb
bovinity noun

bovine

2 of 2

noun

biology : any of a subfamily (Bovinae) of bovids including oxen, bison, buffalo, and their close relatives

Did you know?

Bovine comes from the Latin word for "cow", though the biological family called the Bovidae actually includes not only cows and oxen but also goats, sheep, bison, and buffalo. So bovine is often used technically, when discussing "bovine diseases", "bovine anatomy", and so on. It can also describe a human personality, though it can be a rather unkind way to describe someone. When Hera, the wife of Zeus, is called "cow-eyed", though, it's definitely a compliment, and Zeus fairly melts when she turns those big bovine eyes on him.

Examples of bovine in a Sentence

Adjective She stared at us with a stupid, bovine expression.
Recent Examples on the Web
Adjective
Complete amino acid sequence of bovine thymosin beta-4: a thymic hormone that induces terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase activity in thymocyte populations. The Salt Lake Tribune, 16 Aug. 2023 The story of Punchy the bull – the bovine creature found roaming the streets of Cleveland – got a lot stranger Friday. Laura Johnston, cleveland, 17 July 2023 This high-quality product contains bovine colostrum, which is the first milk produced by cows after giving birth. Amber Smith, Discover Magazine, 25 Apr. 2023 Pure Encapsulations Colostrum is derived from bovine milk and is known for its immune-boosting properties. Amber Smith, Discover Magazine, 25 Apr. 2023 Naturally, there's also a bovine version of the new heavy-duty ZR2. Eric Stafford, Car and Driver, 14 Apr. 2023 There’s a lot of excitement about new evidence that a food supplement of red algae could reduce bovine methane by over 80%, and big funding is going to startups that are working on turning the idea into practice. Brian Kateman, Forbes, 8 Mar. 2023 Oz and his spouse also own between $1.5 million and $6 million shares in the fertility clinic network Prelude Fertility, and between $500,000 and $1 million in shares of Pantheryx, a biotechnology company that specializes in bovine colostrum products. Bysoo Rin Kim Andlucien Bruggeman, ABC News, 8 Apr. 2022 DePuy combed the industry for already approved therapies with similar properties —and found a soft-tissue reinforcement patch already used in hernia repairs made from bovine heart tissue. Scott Lewis, Discover Magazine, 25 Sep. 2011
Noun
The 6-inch long, 3-inch wide vessel has an opening along the bovine’s back and her tail forms a handle big enough to get a finger through. Juliet Izon, wsj.com, 26 Sep. 2023 The 1,600-pound bovine, which escaped from a property last weekend, was wrangled Thursday afternoon by a cattle-catching service, Barrington Hills said in a social media post. Clifford Ward, Chicago Tribune, 1 Sep. 2023 Also, some may want to note the softgels are made from bovine (cow) gelatin. Willow Jarosh, Ms, Rd, Health, 22 Aug. 2023 But Take Note: The DHA and EPA softgel capsules are made out of bovine (cow) gelatin, and the omega-3 softgel contains fish oil. Anne Cook Carroll, Ms, Parents, 2 Aug. 2023 For those looking for dishes from the hearth not of the bovine persuasion, Garcia is serving up oyster mushroom with black garlic and cambray onion; prawns with aji Amarillo, pineapple, and pichuberry; and half-chicken with roasted shallot, aji verde, and squashini. Jeremy Repanich, Robb Report, 28 Aug. 2023 Few people react to pills, but medicines or vaccines that contain gelatin, glycerin, magnesium stearate or bovine extract can cause trouble for highly sensitive individuals. Joe Graedon and Teresa Graedon, oregonlive, 21 Aug. 2023 By honoring as many ethnic groups as possible in this city of immigrants with a flag-raising in the city’s oldest park — by the haunches of the nation’s most famous bronze bovine — Mr. Adams can woo voters in advance of his 2025 re-election bid. Dana Rubinstein, New York Times, 5 Aug. 2023 The first time Littlejohn caught Lester, the steer had escaped through a fence with several other bovines, Littlejohn said. Cathy Free, Washington Post, 6 June 2023 See More

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

Word History

Etymology

Adjective and Noun

Late Latin bovinus, from Latin bov-, bos ox, cow — more at cow

First Known Use

Adjective

1721, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun

1839, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of bovine was in 1721

Dictionary Entries Near bovine

Cite this Entry

“Bovine.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bovine. Accessed 1 Oct. 2023.

Kids Definition

bovine

1 of 2 adjective
bo·​vine ˈbō-ˌvīn How to pronounce bovine (audio)
-ˌvēn
1
: of, relating to, or resembling the bovines and especially the ox or cow
2
: slow-moving or patient like an ox or cow

bovine

2 of 2 noun
: any of a group of ruminant mammals including the oxen, bison, and buffalo that have hollow horns and are related to the sheep and goats

Medical Definition

bovine

noun
: an ox (genus Bos) or a closely related animal
bovine adjective
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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