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Cows

 - 6 dictionary results

cow

1  [kou]
Use Cows in a Sentence
–noun, plural cows, (Archaic) kine.
1. the mature female of a bovine animal, esp. of the genus Bos.
2. the female of various other large animals, as the elephant or whale.
3. Informal. a domestic bovine of either sex and any age.
4. Slang: Disparaging and Offensive. a large, obese, and slovenly woman.
5. Offensive. a woman who has a large number of children or is frequently pregnant.
—Idiom
6. till or until the cows come home, for a long time; forever: You can keep arguing till the cows come home, but I won't change my mind.
Origin:
bef. 900; ME cou, OE cū; c. G Kuh, D koe, ON kȳr, L bōs, Gk boûs ox; cf. bovine, gaur

Related forms:
cowlike, adjective

cow

2  [kou]
–verb (used with object)
to frighten with threats, violence, etc.; intimidate; overawe.
Origin:
1595–1605; < ON kūga to oppress, cow; cf. Dan kue to cow

Synonyms:
terrorize, scare, bully.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
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cow 1   (kou)   
n.  

  1. The mature female of cattle of the genus Bos.

  2. The mature female of other large animals, such as whales, elephants, or moose.

  3. A domesticated bovine of either sex or any age.


[Middle English cou, from Old English cū; see gwou- in Indo-European roots.]
cow'y adj.
cow 2   (kou)   
tr.v.   cowed, cow·ing, cows
To frighten with threats or a show of force. See Synonyms at intimidate.

[Probably of Scandinavian origin.]
cow'ed·ly (-ĭd-lē) adv.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Slang Dictionary
cow

  1. n.
    a fat or ugly woman. (Cruel.) : Wouldn't you think a cow like that would go on a diet?
Dictionary of American Slang and Colloquial Expressions by Richard A. Spears.Fourth Edition.
Copyright 2007. Published by McGraw Hill.
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Word Origin & History

cow  (n.)
O.E. cu, from P.Gmc. *kwon, earlier *kwom, from PIE *gwous (cf. Skt. gaus, Gk. bous, L. bov-), perhaps ult. imitative of lowing (cf. Sumerian gu, Chinese ngu, ngo "ox"). In Gmc., of females only; in other languages, of either gender. Cowhand is first attested 1852 in Amer.Eng.; cowboy is from 1725, originally "a boy who tends cows;" Western U.S. sense from 1849, as an adj. meaning "reckless," 1920s; cowlick is from 1598. Cowpoke (1881) was originally restricted to the cowboys who prodded cattle onto railroad cars with long poles.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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