cow

UK: kaʊ | US: kaʊ

Definition

  1. n. a fully grown female animal of a domesticated breed of ox, used as a source of milk or beef

  2. vt. to intimidate or subdue someone through fear or force

Structure

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Etymology

The word "cow" traces back to Old English cū, from Proto-Germanic kūz, which is derived from Proto-Indo-European gʷōus (meaning "cow, ox"). This root is shared across many Indo-European languages (e.g., Latin bos, Sanskrit go, Greek bous). The verb sense ("to intimidate") emerged in the 17th century, likely from the idea of herding cattle through dominance.

Examples

  1. The farmer milks the cow every morning.

  2. Cows graze peacefully in the meadow.

  3. The bully tried to cow his classmates into silence.

  4. She refused to be cowed by their threats.

  5. A herd of cows blocked the narrow road.