ox
/ɒks/ (bre, ipa) · [ˈɑks] /ɑːks/ (ame, ipa) · [ˈɑks] /ˈäks/ (ame, mw)
ox — noun
- oxsingular
- oxenplural
1. an adult male cow whose sex organs have been removed, especially one once used t
an adult male cow whose sex organs have been removed, especially one once used to pull heavy loads or farm tools
Two oxen pulled the wooden cart through the muddy field.
oxen pull heavy loads on a farm
Before sunrise, the farmer yoked the ox for a long day of ploughing.
yoke an ox for farm work
Children fed the old ox hay beside the red barn.
An ox dragged the fallen tree away from the village road.
- steer
often North American and more often linked to cattle raised for beef than to pulling work
用法筆記
Usually refers to a castrated working animal in farming or historical contexts, not to every male cow.
2. a member of the cattle family, such as a cow or a bull
a member of the cattle family, such as a cow or a bull
We counted twenty oxen grazing on the hill behind the farm.
plural oxen for cattle in general
During the storm, one black ox broke through the gate.
At the autumn fair, each ox wore a numbered rope collar.
The vet checked the injured ox before the market opened.
用法筆記
This broader meaning is less common and often appears in farm descriptions or older writing about cattle in general.