cows

IPA/kaʊ/
KK[kˈaʊz]IPA/kaʊ/

cows — noun

  • cowssingular
  • cowsesplural

1. adult female cattle, especially the ones farmers keep for milk, breeding, or mea

1.名詞A2
釋義

adult female cattle, especially the ones farmers keep for milk, breeding, or meat.

例句

At sunrise, the cows crowded by the gate, waiting for milking time.

farm routine: waiting for milking time

Bao led the cows across the lane before the school bus arrived.

move cows across a lane

同義詞
  • cattle

    broader term that can include bulls and calves, not only adult females

  • dairy cows

    more specific term for cows kept mainly for milk production

  • herd

    usually means the group itself, not the female animals as a type

文法句型

the cows are ...

milk the cows

bring the cows in

用法筆記

In its strict sense, cows means adult female cattle. In everyday farm talk, speakers also use cows for the animals in a herd when the sex of each animal is not the main point.

常見錯誤

❌The cow were in the field.
✅The cows were in the field.
💡cows is the plural form, so the noun and verb must both be plural.
❌He bought three cow yesterday.
✅He bought three cows yesterday.
💡use cows when you mean more than one animal.

2. female adults of some big species, including whales, elephants, seals, and simil

2.名詞C1
釋義

female adults of some big species, including whales, elephants, seals, and similar animals.

例句

In the seal colony, the cows stayed close to the youngest pups.

animal term: female seals

During migration, the whale cows swam beside their calves for weeks.

同義詞
  • females

    more general term without the species-specific wildlife flavor

  • mothers

    only fits when the animals are being discussed as parents

反義詞
  • bulls

    adult male animals of these species

文法句型

whale cows

elephant cows

seal cows

用法筆記

Common in wildlife, hunting, and animal-study contexts. It contrasts with bull when the male animal is the point of comparison.

常見錯誤

❌A cow elephant is the male leader of the herd.
✅A cow elephant is an adult female elephant.
💡cow marks the female animal in this sense.

3. a very offensive insult for women seen as nasty, cruel, or unpleasant.

3.名詞C1
釋義

a very offensive insult for women seen as nasty, cruel, or unpleasant.

例句

The tabloid called the sisters cows after the restaurant argument.

insult pattern: call someone cows

Online trolls called the actresses cows when the result was announced.

同義詞
  • witches

    can also insult women, but often sounds less blunt and may imply cruelty or malice

  • bullies

    focuses on hurtful behavior rather than being a gendered insult

文法句型

call someone cows

shout cows at ...

用法筆記

Strongly insulting and rude. It is used to attack women, not as a neutral way to describe bad behavior.

常見錯誤

❌My report says the customers were cows.
✅My report says the customers were rude and abusive.
💡cows is an offensive insult and is not suitable in neutral writing.

4. things or situations that are awkward, difficult, or miserable to deal with.

4.名詞C2
釋義

things or situations that are awkward, difficult, or miserable to deal with.

例句

Those tax forms are cows to finish after a ten-hour shift.

pattern: X are cows to + verb

Wet camping tents are cows to pack when the wind rises.

同義詞
  • nightmares

    stronger and more dramatic for troublesome situations

  • hassles

    more everyday and usually less strongly negative

  • pains

    informal term for things that are annoying or hard to manage

文法句型

X are cows to + verb

those cows of a ...

用法筆記

Usually appears in British informal speech about jobs, journeys, objects, or situations that cause extra trouble. It often follows a verb such as be or become.

常見錯誤

❌The math test was cow.
✅The math test was a cow.
💡this sense normally needs an article when one troublesome thing is being described.
❌My suitcase is a cow.
✅Carrying my suitcase upstairs was a cow.
💡the sense usually describes the hard situation, not just the object by itself.

cows — verb