cow

(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.

idioms:

have a cow

1. SlangTo become amazed, angered, or upset:He had a cow when he saw the mess we made. To become amazed, angered, or upset: He had a cow when he saw the mess we made.

till the cows come home Informal.

1. For a very long time; indefinitely: They could argue till the cows come home and still not reach an agreement.

[Middle English cou, from Old English cū.]

cowy cow'y adj.

cow² (kou)
tr.v., cowed, cow·ing, cows.
To frighten with threats or a show of force. See synonyms at intimidate.

[Probably of Scandinavian origin.]

cowedly cow'ed·ly (-ĭd-lē) adv.

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verb

To domineer or drive into compliance by the use of as threats or force, for example: bludgeon, browbeat, bulldoze, bully, bullyrag, hector, intimidate, menace, threaten. Informal strong-arm. See over/under.

Idioms beginning with cow:
cow college

In addition to the idiom beginning with cow, also see cash cow; holy cow; sacred cow; till the cows come home.

v

Definition: browbeat, intimidate
Antonyms: encourage, hearten, inspirit

The mature female of cattle appears often in Celtic narrative and visual art, although not so differently from other European traditions. If cattle were once worshipped, as we believe, their earlier status attaches more to the male of the species; see BULL. Cattle were always valued possessions, among both human and otherworldly society; this was especially true of herding societies, such as that of early Ireland. The agnomen of Brian Bórama (Boru) testifies to his wealth [Irish bórama, cow-countings (?), i.e. tribute]. A bóaire [cow-noble, stock owner] was a freeman. No evidence of a cult of the cow survives, although it is suggested in the minor Continental goddess Damona and the etymology of Boand, goddess of the Boyne. The Welsh Triads speak of three prominent cows of Britain, implying a legend about cows not known to us.

Important female figures having strong associations with cows are Boand, Brigit, Flidais, Mórrígan, and Verbeia. The magical cow of Irish folk tradition was Glas Ghaibhleann, and its counterpart in Scottish Gaelic tradition was Glas Ghaibhnann. The hornless fairy cattle of the Scottish Highlands are the Crodh Mara. The fairy cattle of Wales are known as gwartheg y llyn. Otherworldly or fairy cows are usually thought to be white with red ears.

The Druimin Donn Dílis: The Faithful Brown, Whitebacked Cow, is a poetic name for Ireland. According to Irish place-name legend, three cows once emerged from the sea, Bó Finn [white cow], Bó Dub [black cow], and Bó Derg [red cow]. They scattered across the island, the black going south, the red going north, and the white going straight across; this accounts for the many Irish town names beginning ‘Bó-’. The word for cow in both Old and Modern Irish is bó Scottish Gaelic bò; Manx booa; Welsh bu, buwch; Cornish bugh; Breton ejen [the animal], bevin (the meat of the animal). See also BULL.

n. a fat or ugly woman. (Cruel.)  Wouldn't you think a cow like that would go on a diet?

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IN BRIEF: An adult female of any of various usually large animals such as bovines, elephants, whales, or seals.

And now a thought provoking question: When a cow laughs, does milk come out her nose? — Unknown from www.zaadz.com.

LearnThatWord.com is a free vocabulary and spelling program where you only pay for results!

sign description: The Y handshape rests with the thumb on the head. It makes a twisting movement forward.

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The appearance of a cow in a dream may indicate passive, docile, or fertile aspects. It may also indicate nourishment and fulfillment if the cows are waiting to be milked. To dream of contentedly grazing cows usually signifies prosperity and happiness.

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noun
noun, Austral and NZ

1: A woman, esp. a coarse or unpleasant one. (1696 —) .
D. Lessing It's just that stupid cow her mother (1960).

2: An unpleasant person, thing, situation, etc.; often used good-humouredly. (1864 —) .
F. D. Davison Looking for work's a cow of a game! (1940).

Previous:	cove, counter-jumper, cough
Next:	cow-spanker, cowabunga, cowboy

Bovine female after having had one calf. See also cattle. The term is also used to describe mature females of some other species, e.g. elk, moose, reindeer, wapiti, elephants.

• brood c. — used for breeding.
• c. bush — see leucaena leucocephala.
• c.–calf pair — a breeding beef cow with calf at foot.
• c. cockle — see saponaria.
• c. cress — sium angustifolium.
• dry c. — 1. a cow in the 2 to 3 month period between the end of lactation and the subsequent calving. Cows in which calving is imminent are close-up dry cows, or are freshening.
— 2. a mature cow which is not lactating whatever the reason.
• dry c. therapy — see dry period treatment.
• empty c. — cow not in calf when she should be. Called also barren cow.
• foundation c. — one from which many of the animals in a herd or breed have originated.
• fresh c. — a cow recently calved.
• c. index — an estimate of the genetic ability of the cow to transmit to her offspring her capacity to produce milk and butterfat. The index is calculated on the basis of the cow's record of production, especially her deviation from herdmates, the herd's productivity status and the productivity proof of her sire.
• c.-kick — a forward kick with a hindlimb, dangerous to the mounting rider of a horse, or to the clinician examining a cow.
• open c. — cow not in calf, usually said of cows still to be bred.
• c. parsnip — see heracleum mantegazzianum.
• c.-pony — American stock horse, used for working cattle on the range.
• c. pool — a cooperative arrangement for milking cows in which a central unit cares for and milks cows or herds which belong to different owners.
• c. wheat — Melampyrum arvense.

For a list of words related to cow, see:

• Animal Types and Parts - cow: female of various large mammals, esp. cattle
• Artiodactyls
• Appearance or Style
• Sexuality or Gender
• Opposition, Disagreement, and Attack - cow: (vb) intimidate with threats

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See words rhyming with "cow."

  See crossword solutions for the clue Cow.

This entry is from Wikipedia, the leading user-contributed encyclopedia. It may not have been reviewed by professional editors (see full disclaimer)

Dansk (Danish)
1.
n. - ko, stort hundyr, ubehagelig situation/person

idioms:

• put off till the cows get home    udsætte i det uendelige

2.
v. tr. - kue, gøre bange

Nederlands (Dutch)
bang maken, koe, trut

Français (French)
1.
n. - vache, femelle (autres animaux), grognasse (péj)

idioms:

• until the cows come home    jusqu'à la saint-glinglin

2.
v. tr. - intimider, dompter

Deutsch (German)
1.
n. - Kuh

idioms:

• until the cows come home    auf die Ewigkeit warten

2.
v. - einschüchtern

Ελληνική (Greek)
n. - αγελάδα, μεγαλόσωμο θηλυκό ζώο, (μτφ.) γκιόσα, μέγαιρα
v. - εκφοβίζω, τρομοκρατώ

idioms:

• put off till the cows get home    αναβάλλω επ' αόριστον, μέχρι να βγάλει ο ήλιος κέρατα

Italiano (Italian)
mettere paura a, far paura a, impaurire, intimidire, atterrire, vacca

idioms:

• a sacred cow    vacca sacra
• put off till the cows get home    rimandare alle calende greche

Português (Portuguese)
n. - vaca (f) (Zool.)
v. - assustar

idioms:

• a sacred cow    vaca (f) sagrada
• put off till the cows get home    adiar até o dia de São Nunca

Русский (Russian)
запугивать, корова

idioms:

• a sacred cow    священная корова
• put off till the cows get home    после дождичка в четверг

Español (Spanish)
1.
n. - vaca

idioms:

• until the cows come home    para siempre

2.
v. tr. - acobardar, intimidar

Svenska (Swedish)
n. - ko, hona (av vissa större djur), kossa (neds. om kvinna)
v. - skrämma, kuva

中文（简体）(Chinese (Simplified))
1. 母牛, 母兽, 奶牛

idioms:

• put off till the cows get home    没完没了地拖延

2. 恐吓, 威胁

中文（繁體）(Chinese (Traditional))
1.
v. tr. - 恐嚇, 威脅

2.
n. - 母牛, 母獸, 奶牛

idioms:

• put off till the cows get home    沒完沒了地拖延

한국어 (Korean)
1.
n. - 암소, 암컷, 칠칠치 못한 뚱뚱한 여자

idioms:

• put off till the cows get home    무기 연기하다

2.
v. tr. - 위협하다

日本語 (Japanese)
n. - 雌牛, 畜牛, 雌, だらしない女
v. - おびやかす, おどす

العربيه (Arabic)
‏(الاسم) بقرة (فعل) أرعب, أفزع, خوف‏

עברית (Hebrew)
n. - ‮פרה, פילה, נקבה, אישה בד"כ גסה או לא נעימה‬
v. tr. - ‮דיכא, הפחיד‬

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