COW

cow

(noun) mature female of mammals of which the male is called ‘bull’

cow, moo-cow

(noun) female of domestic cattle: “‘moo-cow’ is a child’s term”

cow

(noun) a large unpleasant woman

overawe, cow

(verb) subdue, restrain, or overcome by affecting with a feeling of awe; frighten (as with threats)

Source: WordNet® 3.1

Etymology 1

Noun

cow (plural cows or cattle or kine) (see usage notes)

(properly) An adult female of the species Bos taurus, especially one that has calved.

(formerly inexact but now common) Any member of the species Bos taurus regardless of sex or age, including bulls and calves.

(uncommon) Beef: the meat of cattle as food.

(uncommon) Any bovines or bovids generally, including yaks, buffalo, etc.

(biology) A female member of other large species of mammal, including the bovines, moose, whales, seals, hippos, rhinos, manatees, and elephants.

(derogatory, UK, AU, informal) A woman considered unpleasant in some way, particularly one considered nasty, stupid, fat, lazy, or difficult.

(mining) A chock: a wedge or brake used to stop a machine or car.

Usage notes

The plural cows is the normal plural for multiple individuals, while cattle is used in a more collective sense. The umlaut plurals kee, kie, kine, ky and kye are archaic or dialectal, and are not in common use.

Synonyms

• (derogatory: despicable woman): bitch

• (informal: anything annoyingly difficult): bastard, bitch, bugger (UK)

Antonyms

• (female domesticated ox or other bovine): bull (male, uncastrated), ox or steer (male, castrated), heifer (female, immature)

Hyponyms

• (young or little): cowlet, cowling

Etymology 2

Verb

cow (third-person singular simple present cows, present participle cowing, simple past and past participle cowed)

(transitive, mostly, in the passive voice) To intimidate; to daunt the spirits or courage of.

Etymology 3

Noun

cow (plural cows)

(UK, dialect) A chimney cowl.

Anagrams

• CWO, WOC

Noun

COW

(computing) Acronym of copy-on-write.

Anagrams

• CWO, WOC

Source: Wiktionary

Cow (kou), n. Etym: [See Cowl a hood.]

Definition: A chimney cap; a cowl

Cow, n.; pl. Cows (kouz); old pl. Kine (k. Etym: [OE. cu, cou, AS. c; akin to D. koe, G. kuh, OHG. kuo, Icel. k, Dan. & Sw. ko, L. bos ox, cow, Gr. g. sq. root223. Cf. Beef, Bovine, Bucolic, Butter, Nylghau.]

1. The mature female of bovine animals.

2. The female of certain large mammals, as whales, seals, etc.

Cow, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Cowed (koud);; p. pr. & vb. n. Cowing.] Etym: [Cf. Icel. kuga, Sw. kufva to check, subdue, Dan. kue. Cf. Cuff, v. t.]

Definition: To depress with fear; to daunt the spirits or courage of; to overawe. To vanquish a people already cowed. Shak. THe French king was cowed. J. R. Green.

Cow, n. Etym: [Prob. from same root as cow, v.t.] (Mining)

Definition: A wedge, or brake, to check the motion of a machine or car; a chock. Knight.

Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition