ox

\ ˈäks

How to pronounce ox (audio)

\

plural oxen\ ˈäk-sən

How to pronounce oxen (audio)

\ also ox

Definition of ox

(Entry 1 of 2)

1 : a domestic bovine mammal (Bos taurus) broadly : a bovine mammal a team of oxen

2 : an adult castrated male domestic ox

ox-

variants: or oxo-

Definition of ox- (Entry 2 of 2)

: oxygen oxacillin

Examples of ox in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun Dishes like fatty ox tartare topped with white truffle shavings and wisps of blue cheese, slow-roasted suckling pig dotted with creme fraiche, and aromatic black rice infused with squid brought the bold flavors of Spain into sharp focus. — Amy Tara Koch, chicagotribune.com, "Wineries north of Madrid start to come into their own as the ‘Sonoma of Spain’," 6 Dec. 2019 Dishes like fatty ox tartare topped with white truffle shavings and wisps of blue cheese, slow-roasted suckling pig dotted with creme fraiche, and aromatic black rice infused with squid brought the bold flavors of Spain into sharp focus. — Washington Post, "A sip-to-sip tour of the ‘Sonoma of Spain’," 29 Nov. 2019 Bridge to love In Chinese myth, Cattleman was a handsome young mortal who once healed a dying ox. — Wei Li, The Conversation, "How China does Valentine’s Day," 11 Feb. 2020 Five hundred cows and a few oxen graze in tight formation in a penned off part of Danie Slabbert's veld. — David Mckenzie, CNN, "Put down that veggie burger. These farmers say their cows can solve the climate crisis," 6 Mar. 2020 The altar itself holds a sprouting sapling and a Minoan symbol that probably represents the horns of a sacrificial ox. — Kiona N. Smith, Ars Technica, "Archaeologists unearth gold-lined Mycenaean royal tombs in Greece," 21 Dec. 2019 The new humpbacked, shaggy-haired wild ox were brought from the Northern California ranch where they were born. — USA TODAY, "Golden Gate bison, prisoner paintings, dining with dogs: News from around our 50 states," 6 Mar. 2020 Most importantly, Shelton is as strong as an ox at the point-of-attack. — John Owning, Dallas News, "Film room: 3 under-the-radar free agents the Cowboys should target, including a run-plugging, pocket-pushing nose tackle," 24 Jan. 2020 Did the ox clack its hooves together, or chew its cud rhythmically? — Dave Barry, Anchorage Daily News, "Dave Barry gift guide for 2019: No one will want any of these things," 15 Dec. 2019

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

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Last Updated

24 May 2020

Cite this Entry

“Ox.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ox. Accessed 29 May. 2020.

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