cattle

plural noun cat·tle \ ˈka-tᵊl \

Updated on: 14 Apr 2018

Definition of cattle

1 : domesticated quadrupeds held as property or raised for use; specifically : bovine animals on a farm or ranch

2 : human beings especially en masse

Recent Examples of cattle from the Web

About 100 horses and up to 500 head of cattle use the land.

— frank kummer, Philly.com, "Historic Cowtown Rodeo's grasslands preserved in $2.6-million deal," 9 Apr. 2018
Another 300,000 acres are grassland in New Mexico used for cattle.

— c. j. hughes, New York Times, "A Real Estate Dynasty Passes the Torch," 6 Apr. 2018
Jim Chilton’s ranch in Arivaca, Arizona stretches 14 miles (23 kilometers) along the border, separated from Mexico by barbed wire cattle fence.

— Time, "President Trump Wants to Send Up to 4,000 National Guard Members to the Mexican Border," 6 Apr. 2018
Cutting horses at the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo showed off their moves Friday morning, isolating a single heifer from a small herd of cattle and blocking its path to rejoin the group.

— andrew kragie, Houston Chronicle, "How does a pony wear its tail at Houston rodeo?," 2 Mar. 2018
Land clearance is rampant along its eastern coast, as farmers take advantage of lax laws to make room for cattle to feed Asia.

— The Economist, "Felled trees and muddy watersQueensland is one of the world’s worst places for deforestation," 24 Feb. 2018
Although officials have not been able to pinpoint just when and how Beckley contracted the parasite, Bradbury said the eye worm is spread by flies that feed on the larvae that lives on the eyes of cattle.

— char adams, PEOPLE.com, "Oregon Woman Who Found 14 Worms in Her Eye Speaks Out on Her 'Shocking' Experience," 19 Feb. 2018
But Mompox does exist, a five-and-a-half-hour drive inland from Cartagena across a steamy landscape of swampy cattle ranches carved out of jungle and a range of small mountains.

— jon lee anderson, Condé Nast Traveler, "Stepping Beyond Cartagena: Exploring Colombia's Northern Reaches," 21 Mar. 2018
The 19th-century wagon goes back to Camp Pendleton’s pre-base days when the area was one of the largest cattle ranches in California.

— linda mcintosh, sandiegouniontribune.com, "Antique wagon rebuilt at Camp Pendleton landmark," 15 Mar. 2018

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

Origin and Etymology of cattle

Middle English catel, from Anglo-French katil, chatel personal property, from Medieval Latin capitale, from Latin, neuter of capitalis of the head — more at capital

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First Known Use: 14th century

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Other Mammals Terms

dormouse, dugong, gibbon, grimalkin, sable, stoat, ungulate, vole

CATTLE Defined for English Language Learners

cattle

noun

Definition of cattle for English Language Learners

: cows, bulls, or steers that are kept on a farm or ranch for meat or milk

CATTLE Defined for Kids

cattle

noun cat·tle \ ˈka-tᵊl \

Definition of cattle for Students

plural cattle

: domestic animals with four feet and especially cows, bulls, and calves

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See words that rhyme with cattle Spanish Central: Translation of cattle Nglish: Translation of cattle for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of cattle for Arabic speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about cattle

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cattle

Definition of cattle

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cattle

Definition of cattle for English Language Learners

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cattle

Definition of cattle for Students

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