# holy cow

> English word · Interjection

## Definitions
1. An exclamation of surprise or astonishment.

## Etymology
Minced oath for holy shit, possibly partially based on the fact that cows are sacred in some religions (e.g. Hinduism).

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