cow

1 of 2

noun

plural cows
1
a
: the mature female of cattle (genus Bos)
b
: the mature female of various usually large animals (such as an elephant, whale, or moose)
c
: a domestic bovine animal regardless of sex or age
2
informal, disparaging + offensive : an unpleasant, annoying, or vacuous woman
cowy adjective

Illustration of cow

Illustration of cow
  • 1 hoof
  • 2 pastern
  • 3 dewclaw
  • 4 switch
  • 5 hock
  • 6 rear udder
  • 7 flank
  • 8 thigh
  • 9 tail
  • 10 pinbone
  • 11 tail head
  • 12 thurl
  • 13 hip
  • 14 barrel
  • 15 ribs
  • 16 crops
  • 17 withers
  • 18 heart girth
  • 19 neck
  • 20 horn
  • 21 poll
  • 22 forehead
  • 23 bridge of nose
  • 24 muzzle
  • 25 jaw
  • 26 throat
  • 27 point of shoulder
  • 28 dewlap
  • 29 point of elbow
  • 30 brisket
  • 31 chest floor
  • 32 knee
  • 33 milk well
  • 34 milk vein
  • 35 fore udder
  • 36 teats
  • 37 rump
  • 38 loin

cow

2 of 2

verb

cowed; cowing; cows

transitive verb

: to destroy the resolve or courage of
also : to bring to a state or an action by intimidation
used with into
… like too many Asian armies, adept at cowing a population into feeding them … Edward Lansdale
cowedly adverb
Choose the Right Synonym for cow

intimidate, cow, bulldoze, bully, browbeat mean to frighten into submission.

intimidate implies inducing fear or a sense of inferiority into another.

intimidated by so many other bright freshmen

cow implies reduction to a state where the spirit is broken or all courage is lost.

not at all cowed by the odds against making it in show business

bulldoze implies an intimidating or an overcoming of resistance usually by urgings, demands, or threats.

bulldozed the city council into approving the plan

bully implies intimidation through threats, insults, or aggressive behavior.

bullied into giving up their lunch money

browbeat implies a cowing through arrogant, scornful, or contemptuous treatment.

browbeat the witness into a contradiction

Examples of cow in a Sentence

Noun The cows need to be milked twice a day. Verb I refuse to be cowed by their threats. a sharp glare cowed the child into being quiet
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
According to their owner, Little Buckets Farm Sanctuary founder Susan Klingenberg, the two pals grew up together and still love to play together and groom each other, even though the cow is now over 1,000 pounds larger than her canine buddy. Kelli Bender, Peoplemag, 17 Jan. 2023 The Illinois State Fair’s butter cow is back in all its creamy glory. Chicago Tribune Staff, Chicago Tribune, 17 Aug. 2022
Verb
Putting down a lover, while cowing before the judgment of others, revealed a weakness that sometimes pertains to taking sides politically — possibly resulting in their most irresponsible song ever. Armond White, National Review, 18 Sep. 2024 Related: Could cow vaccines help halt the spread of bird flu in U.S. herds? Helen Branswell, STAT, 30 July 2024 See all Example Sentences for cow 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'cow.' 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

Noun

Middle English cou, from Old English ; akin to Old High German kuo cow, Latin bos head of cattle, Greek bous, Sanskrit go

Verb

probably of Scandinavian origin; akin to Danish kue to subdue

First Known Use

Noun

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb

1581, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of cow was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near cow

Cite this Entry

“Cow.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cow. Accessed 16 Oct. 2024.

Kids Definition

cow

1 of 2 noun
1
: the adult female of cattle or of any of various usually large animals (as elephants, whales, or seals)
2
: any domestic bovine animal regardless of sex or age

cow

2 of 2 verb
: to lessen the spirits or courage of : frighten
were cowed into silence by threats
Etymology

Noun

Old English "cow"

Verb

probably of Scandinavian origin

More from Merriam-Webster on cow

Last Updated: - Definition revised
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