# cow

> English word · Noun · IPA /kaʊ/ · frequency rank #5,670

## Definitions
1. An adult female of the species Bos taurus, especially one that has calved.
2. Any member of the species Bos taurus that is not of a bucking breed or fighting breed, regardless of sex or age, including steers and calves.
3. Beef: the meat of cattle as food.
4. Any bovines or bovids generally, including yaks, buffalo, etc.
5. A female member of other large species of mammal, including the bovines, moose, whales, seals, hippos, rhinos, manatees, and elephants.
6. A woman considered unpleasant in some way, particularly one considered nasty, stupid, fat, lazy, or difficult.
7. A chock: a wedge or brake used to stop a machine or car.
8. A third-year cadet at West Point.
9. A fish that is very large for its species, such as a large striped bass or large bluefin tuna.

## Etymology
Etymology tree
Proto-Indo-European *gʷṓws
Proto-Germanic *kōz
Proto-West Germanic *kō
Old English cū
Middle English cow
English cow
Inherited from Middle English cow, cou, from Old English cū (“cow”), from Proto-West Germanic *kō, from Proto-Germanic *kōz (“cow”), from Proto-Indo-European *gʷṓws (“cow”).
Cognate with Sanskrit गो (go), Ancient Greek βοῦς (boûs), Persian گاو (gâv)), Latvian govs (“cow”), Proto-Slavic *govędo (Serbo-Croatian govedo, Russian говядина (govjadina, “beef”), Scots coo (“cow”), North Frisian ko, kø (“cow”), West Frisian ko (“cow”), Dutch koe (“cow”), Low German Koh, Koo, Kau (“cow”), German Kuh (“cow”), Swedish ko (“cow”), Norwegian ku (“cow”), Icelandic kýr (“cow”), Latin bōs (“ox, bull, cow”) (whence English beef), Armenian կով (kov, “cow”). Doublet of beef.
The plural kine is from Middle English kyne, kyn, kuin, kiin, kien (“cows”), either a double plural of Middle English ky, kye (“cows”), equivalent to modern kye + -en, or inherited from Old English cūna (“cows', of cows”), genitive plural of cū (“cow”).

## Easily confused with
- **CT** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/cow-vs-ct)
- **CR** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/cow-vs-cr)
- **cs** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/cow-vs-cs)
- **cp** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/cow-vs-cp)
- **CV** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/cow-vs-cv)
- **CU** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/cow-vs-cu)
- **CW** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/cow-vs-cw)
- **CX** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/cow-vs-cx)
- **cz** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/cow-vs-cz)
- **CQ** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/cow-vs-cq)
- **cut** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/cow-vs-cut)
- **cup** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/cow-vs-cup)
- **cry** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/cow-vs-cry)
- **cum** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/cow-vs-cum)
- **cox** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/cow-vs-cox)
- **cuz** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/cow-vs-cuz)
- **cue** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/cow-vs-cue)
- **CPU** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/cow-vs-cpu)
- **Cub** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/cow-vs-cub)
- **CPR** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/cow-vs-cpr)

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/cow