Definition

1. Noun:
   • A cow kept primarily for milk production: A dairy cow is a female bovine that is specifically bred and raised to produce milk for human consumption or for processing into dairy products like cheese, butter, and yogurt. It is a type of cattle distinguished by its milk-yielding capacity.

Usage

• The term "dairy cow" is used to specify the purpose of the animal within agriculture and farming. It contrasts with beef cattle, which are raised for meat.
• It is a countable noun (e.g., a dairy cow, several dairy cows).

Examples

• Noun:
  • The farmer milks the dairy cows twice a day.
  • Holsteins are a common breed of dairy cow known for high milk production.
  • Proper nutrition is essential for the health of a dairy cow.

Advanced Usage

• "Dairy cattle": This is a broader, often plural, term referring to cows (and sometimes the breeding bulls) of a herd kept for milk production.
  • The farm specializes in raising dairy cattle.

Variants and Related Words

• Dairy cattle (n): Cattle bred for the purpose of milk production.
• Milch cow (n): An older or more formal term for a dairy cow.
• Milk cow (n): A less formal synonym for dairy cow.
• Heifer (n): A young female cow that has not yet borne a calf. A heifer may become a dairy cow.
• Lactation (n): The period during which a dairy cow produces milk.

Synonyms

• Milch cow
• Milk cow
• Milk-producing cow

Notes

• The term "dairy cow" itself is not typically used in phrasal verbs or idioms. Related expressions involve the word "cow" or "milk" more broadly (e.g., "cash cow" is an idiom for a consistent source of income, but it is not specific to dairy farming).

Noun

1. cattle that are reared for their milk