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bovine

 - 4 dictionary results

bo⋅vine

  [boh-vahyn, -vin, -veen]
Use bovine in a Sentence
–adjective
1. of or pertaining to the subfamily Bovinae, which includes cattle, buffalo, and kudus.
2. oxlike; cowlike.
3. stolid; dull.
–noun
4. a bovine animal.
Origin:
1810–20; < LL bovīnus of, pertaining to oxen or cows, equiv. to L bov- (s. of bōs) ox + -īnus -ine 1

Related forms:
bo⋅vine⋅ly, adverb
bo⋅vin⋅i⋅ty  [boh-vin-i-tee] , noun
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
Cite This Source Link To bovine
bo·vine   (bō'vīn', -vēn')   
adj.  

  1. Of, relating to, or resembling a ruminant mammal of the genus Bos, such as an ox, cow, or buffalo.

  2. Sluggish, dull, and stolid.

n.  An animal of the genus Bos.

[Late Latin bovīnus, from Latin bōs, bov-, cow; see gwou- in Indo-European roots.]
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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Word Origin & History

bovine 
1817, from Fr. bovin, from L.L. bovinus, from L. bovis gen. of bos "ox, cow," from PIE *gwous-, cognate with O.E. cu "cow." Fig. sense of "inert and stupid" is from 1855.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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Medical Dictionary

Main Entry: bo·vine
Pronunciation: 'bO-"vIn, -"vEn
Function: noun
: an ox (genus Bos) or a closely related animal —bovine adjective
Merriam-Webster's Medical Dictionary, © 2002 Merriam-Webster, Inc.
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