cattle Meaning & Definition
What Does Cattle Mean?
As a noun, cattle means Domesticated animals of the species Bos taurus (cows, bulls, steers, oxen etc), and other hoofed mammals of the genus Bos. It can also mean Certain other livestock, such as sheep, pigs or goats. Also rarely applied to horses. As a verb, it means Ellipsis of cattle truck (“to fuck: to break, destroy”).
Cattle in Brief
| Part of speech | noun, verb |
|---|---|
| Pronunciation | /ˈkætəl/ |
| Synonyms | kine, oxen and cows |
| Verb forms | cattles, cattling, cattled |
Cattle Definition (Noun)
- Domesticated animals of the species Bos taurus (cows, bulls, steers, oxen etc), and other hoofed mammals of the genus Bos.
Many cattle were suffering from a disease called BSE.
- Certain other livestock, such as sheep, pigs or goats. Also rarely applied to horses.
- People who resemble domesticated bovine animals in behavior or destiny.
- chattel
goods and cattle
- Used in restricted contexts to refer to the meat derived from cattle.
Cattle as a Verb
- Ellipsis of cattle truck (“to fuck: to break, destroy”).
Noun
- Domesticated bovine animals (cows, bulls, steers etc).
Do you want to raise cattle?
- Certain other livestock, such as sheep, pigs or horses.
- (English law, sometimes countable) chattel
goods and cattle
Synonyms of Cattle
Cattle synonyms and antonyms →Cattle in a Sentence
Many cattle were suffering from a disease called BSE.
goods and cattle
Do you want to raise cattle?
Word Forms & Grammar
cattle pl (normally plural, singular cattle)
cattle (third-person singular simple present cattles, present participle cattling, simple past and past participle cattled)
Words That Rhyme With Cattle
Origin of Cattle
Origin 1: From Middle English catel, from Anglo-Norman catel (“personal property”), from Old Northern French (compare French cheptel, Old French chetel, chatel, also English chattel) from Medieval Latin capitāle, from Latin capitālis (“of the head”) (whence also capital, from caput (“head”) + -alis (“-al”)). For the sense evolution, compare pecuniary and fee. Also compare Russian поголо́вье (pogolóvʹje, “total number of livestock”) from Russian голова́ (golová, “head”). Doublet of capital and chattel.
Origin 2: Compare Old Dutch katēl ("moveable property, head of cattle"; whence Middle Dutch cateele, cateile, catteil, catel (“cattle, livestock, moveable property, assets”), modern Dutch kateil), Middle Low German katêle, katêl, kachtele (“moveable property, cattle”), borrowed from the same Romance source.
Cattle: Your Questions Answered
Is cattle a noun or a verb?
Cattle is mainly used as a noun, but it can also be used as a verb.
What is another word for cattle?
Words with a similar meaning to cattle include kine, oxen and cows. See the full list of cattle synonyms and antonyms.
What is the past tense of cattle?
The past tense of cattle is cattled. The present participle is cattling.