Definition

1. Noun:
   • A yearling heifer or bullock: A "stirk" is a young bovine animal, specifically one that is approximately one year old. The term is used to refer to both young female (heifer) and young male (bullock) cattle in their second year of life.

Usage

• The word "stirk" is primarily a regional or dialectal term, most commonly used in Scotland and Northern England. It is a specific agricultural term used by farmers and those involved in cattle husbandry to denote the age class of the animal.

Examples

• Noun:
  • The farmer separated the stirks from the older herd. (The farmer separated the yearling cattle from the older herd.)
  • We have ten stirks ready for market this spring. (We have ten yearling cattle ready for market this spring.)

Advanced Usage

• The term is precise and not typically used in figurative or non-literal contexts. Its usage is almost exclusively literal and confined to discussions about livestock farming.

Variants and Related Words

• Heifer: (n) A young female cow that has not yet borne a calf.
• Bullock: (n) A young castrated male bovine, raised for beef.
• Yearling: (n) An animal (especially a horse, cow, or sheep) that is one year old or in its second year.

Synonyms

• Yearling: A general term for any animal in its second year of life.
• Young cattle: A more general, descriptive phrase.

Antonyms

• Calf: A very young bovine animal.
• Cow: A mature female bovine that has borne a calf.
• Ox/Bull: A mature male bovine.

Notes

• "Stirk" is not a common word in general modern English. It is considered a specialist term within farming and regional dialects. Learners are more likely to encounter the more general terms "yearling," "heifer," or "bullock."

Noun

1. yearling heifer or bullock