cownoun
uk/kaʊ/us/kaʊ/cow noun (ANIMAL)
A1 [ C ] a large female farm animal kept to produce meat and milk:
a dairy cow
[ C ] a large female adult mammal such as an elephant, a whale, or a seal:
a cow elephant
More examples
- The farmer called the vet out to treat a sick cow.
- We watched the cow suckling her calves.
- The cows were grazing in the meadow.
- We visited a dairy farm and saw the cows being milked.
- A cow goes 'moo' and a dog goes 'bow-wow'.
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
Names for the male & female of animals
- billy goat
- bitch
- boar
- boomer
- buck
- bull
- bullock
- cob
- ewe
- gelding
- mare
- nanny goat
- ox
- ram
- stag
- stallion
- steer
- tigress
- tom
- tomcat
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You can also find related words, phrases, and synonyms in the topics:
Cattle & similar animals
cow noun (WOMAN)
[ C ] UK offensive an unkind or unpleasant woman:
You stupid cow!
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
Unpleasant women
- bag
- battleaxe
- bitch
- crone
- dog
- dragon
- fishwife
- hag
- harpy
- harridan
- misandry
- she-devil
- shrew
- termagant
- trout
- virago
- vixen
- witch
cow noun (UNPLEASANT THING)
[ S ] Australian English informal something difficult or unpleasant:
It's been a cow of a day.
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
Difficult situations and unpleasant experiences
- a (heavy) cross to bear idiom
- a cloud on the horizon idiom
- a fate worse than death idiom
- a hard/tough row to hoe idiom
- a narrow squeak idiom
- barrel
- bind
- crunch
- curse
- fate
- feeding frenzy
- going
- have a bumpy ride idiom
- have sb over a barrel idiom
- schtuck
- shtook
- stalemate
- standoff
- sticky wicket
- vortex
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Idiom(s)
have a cow
till/until the cows come home
cowverb [ T usually passive ]
uk/kaʊ/us/kaʊ/to frighten someone into doing something, using threats or violence:
The protesters refused to be cowed into submission by the army.
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
Frightening and scaring
- chill
- chill sb to the bone/marrow idiom
- creep
- curdle
- daylight
- flesh
- frighten
- frighten sb into sth
- overawe
- petrify
- put the fear of God into you idiom
- put/get the wind up sb idiom
- scare
- scare, frighten, etc. the (living) daylights out of sb idiom
- send chills down/up sb's spine idiom
- send shivers down/up sb's spine idiom
- send shudders/a shudder down your spine idiom
- shiver (up and) down your spine idiom
- shudder
- wit
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