Definitions
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.
- transitive verb To frighten or subdue with threats or a show of force. synonym: intimidate.
- noun The mature female of cattle of the genus Bos.
- noun The mature female of certain other large animals, such as elephants, moose, or whales.
- noun A domesticated bovine of either sex or any age.
- idiom Slang (have a cow) To become amazed, angered, or upset.
- idiom (till the cows come home) For a very long time; indefinitely.
from The Century Dictionary.
- noun In mining, a wedge placed behind a crab or gin-start to prevent it from revolving.
- noun A kind of self-acting brake formerly employed on inclined planes; a trailer.
- noun The top of a chimney which is made to move with the wind; a cowl. See
cowl , 3. - To depress with fear; cause to shrink or crouch with fear; daunt the spirits or courage of; intimidate; overawe.
- Synonyms To overawe, intimidate, abash, daunt.
- To cut; clip.
- noun A cut or clip, especially of the hair: as, he has gone to the barber's to get a cow.
- noun The female of the genus Bos or ox (the male of which is called a bull, or in a restricted sense an ox). See
ox . - noun The female of various other large animals, the male of which is termed a bull, as of many ruminants, of eared seals, etc.
- noun A timid person; a coward.
from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.
- noun The mature female of bovine animals.
- noun The female of certain large mammals, as whales, seals, etc.
- noun A chimney cap; a cowl.
- transitive verb To depress with fear; to daunt the spirits or courage of; to overawe.
- noun (Mining) A wedge, or brake, to check the motion of a machine or car; a chock.
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.
- noun UK, dialect A
chimney cowl . - verb transitive To
intimidate . Found primarily in the passive voice. - noun A female domesticated
ox or otherbovine , especially an adult after she has had acalf . - noun More generally, any domestic bovine regardless of sex or age.
- noun The
meat of such animals asfood (more commonly calledbeef ). - noun The
female of larger species ofmammal , including bovines,moose ,whales ,seals ,hippos ,rhinos ,manatees , andelephants . - noun derogatory, informal A
woman who is considered despicable in some way, especially one considered to be fat, lazy, ugly, argumentative, mean or spiteful. - noun informal Anything that is annoyingly difficult,
awkward orgraceless . - noun informal A
conniption fit orhissy fit ; a state ofagitation (only in the phrase have a cow). - noun mining A
wedge orbrake to stop amachine orcar ; achock .
from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.
- noun a large unpleasant woman
- noun female of domestic cattle:
- noun mature female of mammals of which the male is called `bull'
- verb subdue, restrain, or overcome by affecting with a feeling of awe; frighten (as with threats)
Etymologies
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License
Support
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Examples
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I have not seen a cow, but only a part which tells me a cow is there; for all the cows I ever saw had hoofs of that general description, and so it fits into my concept _cow_, and into no others.
Applied Psychology for Nurses Mary F. Porter
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There's no word on whether magic beans, a giant beanstalk or a pantomime cow are involved, though we hear Kevin Spacey is up for playing the cow* should McQuarrie add such a role.
Empire News 2010
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There's no word on whether magic beans, a giant beanstalk or a pantomime cow are involved, though we hear Kevin Spacey is up for playing the cow* should McQuarrie add such a role.
Empire News 2010
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A good cattleman can tell when a cow is about to drop, unless he has a large herd the cow should be barned up to be kept safe.
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A good cattleman can tell when a cow is about to drop, unless he has a large herd the cow should be barned up to be kept safe.
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I lived close to my uncle, and he had a bunch of kids, too, and we was all the time having what I call cow pasture ball.
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Any cow dat kin walk in so 'umble, after all de res' git done, an 'pick up a little scrap o' leavin's out'n de trough de way she do -- an 'turn it eve'y bit into good yaller butter -- _dat what I calls a cow!
Moriah's Mourning and Other Half-Hour Sketches Ruth McEnery Stuart 1886
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The boy went to the door and listened, but all was perfectly still; so he set down the boots, rolled his apron into what he called a cow's tail, the process consisting in twisting it up very tightly and tucking it round his waist.
The Bag of Diamonds George Manville Fenn 1870
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This week's storm will "have some impact, but it wasn't what we call a cow-killer," said Mike Eisenbart, who has 140 head of cattle on his ranch in Kit Carson County about 140 miles east of Denver.
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This week's storm will "have some impact, but it wasn't what we call a cow-killer," said Mike Eisenbart, who has 140 head of cattle on his ranch in Kit Carson County about 140 miles east of Denver.
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The most mischievous urchins are afraid to hurt the dowdy-cow, believing if they did evil would inevitably befall them.
Notes And Queries, Issue 9. LAMBERT B. LARKING. 2020
adoarns commented on the word cow
A computer on wheels, indispensable when the medical record is stored electronically.
January 26, 2008
chained_bear commented on the word cow
Usage (in the animal sense) here.
June 19, 2009
john commented on the word cow
“A cell on wheels, or COW, is a miniature version of a cell site that is typically used to provide temporary service for outdoor special event.�?
The New York Times, AT&T Races to Expand the Network, September 3 , 2009
September 3, 2009
oroboros commented on the word cow
Cow's favorite rock band? Moo-dy Blues.
Favorite entertainment? Moo-vies.
April 12, 2011
bilby commented on the word cow
Ah, they played all those bulls' hit songs too.
April 12, 2011