Cattle

4 definitions found

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  Cattle \Cat"tle\ (k[a^]t"t'l), n. pl. [OE. calet, chatel, goods,
     property, OF. catel, chatel, LL. captale, capitale, goods,
     property, esp. cattle, fr. L. capitals relating to the head,
     chief; because in early ages beasts constituted the chief
     part of a man's property. See {Capital}, and cf. {Chattel}.]
     Quadrupeds of the Bovine family; sometimes, also, including


     all domestic quadrupeds, as sheep, goats, horses, mules,
     asses, and swine.
     [1913 Webster]
  
     {Belted cattle}, {Black cattle}. See under {Belted}, {Black}.
        
  
     {Cattle guard}, a trench under a railroad track and alongside
        a crossing (as of a public highway). It is intended to
        prevent cattle from getting upon the track.
  
     {cattle louse} (Zool.), any species of louse infecting
        cattle. There are several species. The {H[ae]matatopinus
        eurysternus} and {H[ae]matatopinus vituli} are common
        species which suck blood; {Trichodectes scalaris} eats the
        hair.
  
     {Cattle plague}, the rinderpest; called also {Russian cattle
        plague}.
  
     {Cattle range}, or {Cattle run}, an open space through which
        cattle may run or range. [U. S.] --Bartlett.
  
     {Cattle show}, an exhibition of domestic animals with prizes
        for the encouragement of stock breeding; -- usually
        accompanied with the exhibition of other agricultural and
        domestic products and of implements.
        [1913 Webster]

From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:

  cattle
       n : domesticated bovine animals as a group regardless of sex or
           age; "so many head of cattle"; "wait till the cows come
           home"; "seven thin and ill-favored kine"- Bible; "a team
           of oxen" [syn: {cows}, {kine}, {oxen}, {Bos taurus}]

From Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0 [moby-thes]:

  98 Moby Thesaurus words for "cattle":
     Alderney, Animalia, Ayrshire, Brahman, Chiroptera, Dexter, Durham,
     Dutch Belted, Galloway, Hereford, Holstein, Indian buffalo, Jersey,
     Lagomorpha, Longhorn, Polled Hereford, Primates, Red Poll,
     Red Polled, Rodentia, Santa Gertrudis, Shorthorn, Sussex, Welsh,
     Welsh Black, West Highland, and fish, animal kingdom, animal life,
     animality, aurochs, beasts, beasts of field, beasts of prey, beef,
     beef cattle, beeves, big game, birds, bison, bossy, bovine,
     bovine animal, brute creation, buffalo, bull, bullock, calf,
     carabao, chaff, cow, critter, dairy cattle, dairy cow, dogie,
     domestic animals, dregs, dregs of society, fauna, furry creatures,
     game, heifer, hornless cow, kine, leppy, livestock, maverick,
     milch cow, milcher, milk cow, milker, muley cow, muley head,
     musk-ox, neat, offscourings, offscum, ox, oxen, raff, riffraff,
     rubbish, scum, small game, sordes, steer, stirk, stock, stot,
     swinish multitude, trash, vermin, wild animals, wildlife, wisent,
     yak, yearling, zebu
  
  

From Easton's 1897 Bible Dictionary [easton]:

  Cattle
     abounded in the Holy Land. To the rearing and management of them
     the inhabitants chiefly devoted themselves (Deut. 8:13; 12:21; 1
     Sam. 11:5; 12:3; Ps. 144:14; Jer. 3:24). They may be classified
     as,
     
       (1.) Neat cattle. Many hundreds of these were yearly consumed
     in sacrifices or used for food. The finest herds were found in
     Bashan, beyond Jordan (Num. 32:4). Large herds also pastured on
     the wide fertile plains of Sharon. They were yoked to the plough
     (1 Kings 19:19), and were employed for carrying burdens (1 Chr.
     12:40). They were driven with a pointed rod (Judg. 3:31) or goad
     (q.v.).
     
       According to the Mosaic law, the mouths of cattle employed for
     the threshing-floor were not to be muzzled, so as to prevent
     them from eating of the provender over which they trampled
     (Deut. 25:4). Whosoever stole and sold or slaughtered an ox must
     give five in satisfaction (Ex. 22:1); but if it was found alive
     in the possession of him who stole it, he was required to make
     double restitution only (22:4). If an ox went astray, whoever
     found it was required to bring it back to its owner (23:4; Deut.
     22:1, 4). An ox and an ass could not be yoked together in the
     plough (Deut. 22:10).
     
       (2.) Small cattle. Next to herds of neat cattle, sheep formed
     the most important of the possessions of the inhabitants of
     Palestine (Gen. 12:16; 13:5; 26:14; 21:27; 29:2, 3). They are
     frequently mentioned among the booty taken in war (Num. 31:32;
     Josh. 6:21; 1 Sam. 14:32; 15:3). There were many who were owners
     of large flocks (1 Sam. 25:2; 2 Sam. 12:2, comp. Job 1:3). Kings
     also had shepherds "over their flocks" (1 Chr. 27:31), from
     which they derived a large portion of their revenue (2 Sam.
     17:29; 1 Chr. 12:40). The districts most famous for their flocks
     of sheep were the plain of Sharon (Isa. 65: 10), Mount Carmel
     (Micah 7:14), Bashan and Gilead (Micah 7:14). In patriarchal
     times the flocks of sheep were sometimes tended by the daughters
     of the owners. Thus Rachel, the daughter of Laban, kept her
     father's sheep (Gen. 29:9); as also Zipporah and her six sisters
     had charge of their father Jethro's flocks (Ex. 2:16). Sometimes
     they were kept by hired shepherds (John 10:12), and sometimes by
     the sons of the family (1 Sam. 16:11; 17:15). The keepers so
     familiarized their sheep with their voices that they knew them,
     and followed them at their call. Sheep, but more especially rams
     and lambs, were frequently offered in sacrifice. The shearing of
     sheep was a great festive occasion (1 Sam. 25:4; 2 Sam. 13:23).
     They were folded at night, and guarded by their keepers against
     the attacks of the lion (Micah 5:8), the bear (1 Sam. 17:34),
     and the wolf (Matt. 10:16; John 10:12). They were liable to
     wander over the wide pastures and go astray (Ps. 119:176; Isa.
     53:6; Hos. 4:16; Matt. 18:12).
     
       Goats also formed a part of the pastoral wealth of Palestine
     (Gen. 15:9; 32:14; 37:31). They were used both for sacrifice and
     for food (Deut. 14:4), especially the young males (Gen. 27:9,
     14, 17; Judg. 6:19; 13:15; 1 Sam. 16:20). Goat's hair was used
     for making tent cloth (Ex. 26:7; 36:14), and for mattresses and
     bedding (1 Sam. 19:13, 16). (See {GOAT}.)