Adjacent Words

Ox definitions

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Webster's 1828 Dictionary

OX, n. plu. oxen. pron. ox'n.
The male of the bovine genus of quadrupeds, castrated and grown to his size or nearly so. The young male is called in America a steer. The same animal not castrated is called a bull. These distinctions are well established with us in regard to domestic animals of this genus. When we speak of wild animals of this kind, ox is sometimes applied both to the male and female, and in zoology, the same practice exists in regard to the domestic animals. Sop in common usage, a pair of bulls yoked may be sometimes called oxen. We never apply the name ox to the cow or female of the domestic kind. Oxen in the plural may comprehend both the male and female.

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

n
1: an adult castrated bull of the genus Bos; especially Bos taurus
2: any of various wild bovines especially of the genera Bos or closely related Bibos [syn: ox, wild ox]

Merriam Webster's

noun (plural oxen; also ox) Etymology: Middle English, from Old English oxa; akin to Old High German ohso ox, Sanskrit uk?? bull, and perhaps to Sanskrit uk?ati he moistens, Greek hygros wet — more at humor Date: before 12th century 1. a domestic bovine mammal (Bos taurus); broadly a bovine mammal 2. an adult castrated male domestic ox

Britannica Concise

Domesticated form of large bovid (species Bos taurus) that once moved in herds across N. America and Europe (where they have disappeared) and Asia and Africa (where some still exist in the wild). The docile castrated male is used as a draft animal in many countries. Oxen are used for food in some areas. The term is also applied to a castrated male of any cattle breed. See also aurochs, yak.

Oxford Reference Dictionary

n. (pl. oxen) 1 any bovine animal, esp. a large usu. horned domesticated ruminant used for draught, for supplying milk, and for eating as meat. 2 a castrated male of a domesticated species of cattle, Bos taurus. Phrases and idioms: ox-fence a strong fence for keeping in cattle, consisting of railings, a hedge, and often a ditch. ox-pecker any African bird of the genus Buphagus, feeding on skin parasites living on animals. Etymology: OE oxa f. Gmc

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Ox Ox ([o^]ks), n.; pl. Oxen. [AS. oxa; akin to D. os. G. ochs, ochse, OHG. ohso, Icel. oxi, Sw. & Dan. oxe, Goth. a['u]hsa, Skr. ukshan ox, bull; cf. Skr. uksh to sprinkle. [root]214. Cf. Humid, Aurochs.] (Zo["o]l.) The male of bovine quadrupeds, especially the domestic animal when castrated and grown to its full size, or nearly so. The word is also applied, as a general name, to any species of bovine animals, male and female. All sheep and oxen, yea, and the beasts of the field. --Ps. viii. 7. Note: The castrated male is called a steer until it attains its full growth, and then, an ox; but if castrated somewhat late in life, it is called a stag. The male, not castrated, is called a bull. These distinctions are well established in regard to domestic animals of this genus. When wild animals of this kind are spoken of, ox is often applied both to the male and the female. The name ox is never applied to the individual cow, or female, of the domestic kind. Oxen may comprehend both the male and the female. Grunting ox (Zo["o]l.), the yak. Indian ox (Zo["o]l.), the zebu. Javan ox (Zo["o]l.), the banteng. Musk ox. (Zo["o]l.) See under Musk. Ox bile. See Ox gall, below. Ox gall, the fresh gall of the domestic ox; -- used in the arts and in medicine. Ox pith, ox marrow. [Obs.] --Marston. Ox ray (Zo["o]l.), a very large ray (Dicerobatis Giorn[ae]) of Southern Europe. It has a hornlike organ projecting forward from each pectoral fin. It sometimes becomes twenty feet long and twenty-eight feet broad, and weighs over a ton. Called also sea devil. To have the black ox tread on one's foot, to be unfortunate; to know what sorrow is (because black oxen were sacrificed to Pluto). --Leigh Hunt.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

(oxen) An ox is a bull that has been castrated. Oxen are used in some countries for pulling vehicles or carrying things. N-COUNT

Easton's Bible Dictionary

Heb. bakar, "cattle;" "neat cattle", (Gen. 12:16; 34:28; Job 1:3, 14; 42:12, etc.); not to be muzzled when treading the corn (Deut. 25:4). Referred to by our Lord in his reproof to the Pharisees (Luke 13:15; 14:5).

Dictionary of Ro

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Moby Thesaurus

Brahman, Gibraltar, Indian buffalo, Siberian husky, ass, aurochs, beast of burden, beef, beef cattle, beeves, bison, blockhead, blunderer, blunderhead, boor, bossy, botcher, bovine, bovine animal, buffalo, bull, bullock, bumbler, bungler, calf, camel, carabao, cattle, clod, clodhopper, clodknocker, clot, clown, cow, critter, dairy cattle, dairy cow, dogie, dolt, draft animal, dromedary, elephant, fumbler, gawk, gowk, heart of oak, heifer, hornless cow, horse, husky, iron, kine, klutz, leppy, lion, llama, looby, lout, lubber, malamute, maverick, milch cow, milcher, milk cow, milker, mule, muley cow, muley head, musk-ox, nails, neat, oaf, oak, oxen, pack horse, reindeer, rock, sledge dog, slouch, slubberer, steel, steer, stirk, stot, sumpter, sumpter horse, sumpter mule, wisent, yak, yearling, yokel, zebu