COW


Meaning of COW in English

transcription, транскрипция: [ kaʊ ]

( cows, cowing, cowed)

Frequency: The word is one of the 3000 most common words in English.

1.

A cow is a large female animal that is kept on farms for its milk. People sometimes refer to male and female animals of this species as cows .

Dad went out to milk the cows.

...a herd of cows.

N-COUNT

see also cattle

2.

Some female animals, including elephants and whales, are called cows .

...a cow elephant.

N-COUNT : oft N n

3.

If someone describes a woman as a cow , they dislike her and think that she is unpleasant or stupid. ( INFORMAL, OFFENSIVE )

N-COUNT [ disapproval ]

4.

If someone is cowed , they are made afraid, or made to behave in a particular way because they have been frightened or badly treated. ( FORMAL )

The government, far from being cowed by these threats, has vowed to continue its policy.

...cowing them into submission.

= intimidate

VERB : be V-ed , V n into n / -ing

• cowed

By this time she was so cowed by the beatings that she meekly obeyed.

ADJ : oft ADJ by n

5.

see also mad cow disease , sacred cow

Collins COBUILD Advanced Learner's English Dictionary.      Английский словарь Коллинз COBUILD для изучающих язык на продвинутом уровне.