ˈäks noun
( plural ox·en -ksən ; also ox ; see sense 3 )
Etymology: Middle English, from Old English oxa; akin to Old High German ohso ox, Old Norse oxi, Gothic auhsa, Welsh ych ox, Sanskrit ukṣan ox, bull, ukṣati he sprinkles — more at humor
1. : the domestic bovine ( Bos taurus ) ; especially : an adult castrated male used for a draft animal or for food
pair of oxen
span of oxen
team of oxen
yoke of oxen
— compare bull , bullock , steer
2. : a member of Bos or a closely allied genus
wild ox
extinct oxen
3. plural also oxes : a person resembling an ox (as in placidity, stolidity, clumsiness, or strength)
dumb ox
big ox