cows

Thân thiện

A farmer herds his cows into the barn at sunset.

Definition

Noun (plural, treated as a group) 1. Domesticated bovine animals; cattle: This word refers to the group of large, ruminant mammals commonly kept as livestock for milk, meat, or as draft animals. While "cow" specifically means an adult female, the plural form "cows" is often used informally to refer to the animals collectively, regardless of sex or age. 2. (figurative, informal) A source of steady profit or advantage: Used metaphorically to refer to something that provides consistent benefits, often in business contexts.

Usage and Examples

• Referring to the animals:
  • The farmer herded the cows back to the barn for milking.
  • We could hear the cows lowing in the distant field.
• Used informally for cattle collectively:
  • He raises cows and sheep on his ranch. (Here, "cows" likely includes bulls, steers, and calves.)

Advanced Usage and Nuances

• "wait till the cows come home": An idiom meaning to wait for a very long time, often indefinitely or until something very unlikely happens.
  • You can argue with him till the cows come home, but he won't change his mind.
• The word is typically used with a plural verb when referring to the group.
  • The cows are grazing. (Correct)
  • The cows is grazing. (Incorrect)

Variants and Related Words

• Cow (noun, singular): Specifically an adult female bovine that has borne a calf.
  • That cow produces a lot of milk.
• Cattle (noun, plural): The more formal and precise collective term for domesticated bovines.
  • The cattle market is strong this year.
• Kine (noun, plural, archaic): An old-fashioned word for cows or cattle.
  • "Seven thin and ill-favored kine" (from the Bible).
• Oxen (noun, plural): Castrated male cattle used as draft animals.
  • A team of oxen pulled the heavy wagon.

Synonyms

• Cattle: The standard collective term.
• Bovines: The biological family term.
• Herd: A group of cattle (also used for other animals).

Notes on Meaning

• In strict usage, "cows" refers to multiple adult females. However, in casual, non-technical English, it is commonly used as a general term for the animals, synonymous with "cattle." The more precise term for the mixed group is "cattle."
• The idiom "till the cows come home" is a fixed expression and very common in informal speech.

Học thuật

Noun

1. domesticated bovine animals as a group regardless of sex or age
   • so many head of cattle
   • wait till the cows come home
   • seven thin and ill-favored kine- Bible
   • a team of oxen

Từ đồng nghĩa

• cattle
• kine
• oxen
• Bos taurus