Oxen

4 definitions found

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

  Ox \Ox\ ([o^]ks), n.; pl. {Oxen}. [AS. oxa; akin to D. os. G.
     ochs, ochse, OHG. ohso, Icel. oxi, Sw. & Dan. oxe, Goth.
     a['u]hsa, Skr. ukshan ox, bull; cf. Skr. uksh to sprinkle.
     [root]214. Cf. {Humid}, {Aurochs}.] (Zool.)
     The male of bovine quadrupeds, especially the domestic animal
     when castrated and grown to its full size, or nearly so. The


     word is also applied, as a general name, to any species of
     bovine animals, male and female.
     [1913 Webster]
  
           All sheep and oxen, yea, and the beasts of the field.
                                                    --Ps. viii. 7.
     [1913 Webster]
  
     Note: The castrated male is called a steer until it attains
           its full growth, and then, an ox; but if castrated
           somewhat late in life, it is called a stag. The male,
           not castrated, is called a bull. These distinctions are
           well established in regard to domestic animals of this
           genus. When wild animals of this kind are spoken of, ox
           is often applied both to the male and the female. The
           name ox is never applied to the individual cow, or
           female, of the domestic kind. Oxen may comprehend both
           the male and the female.
           [1913 Webster]
  
     {Grunting ox} (Zool.), the yak.
  
     {Indian ox} (Zool.), the zebu.
  
     {Javan ox} (Zool.), the banteng.
  
     {Musk ox}. (Zool.) See under {Musk}.
  
     {Ox bile}. See {Ox gall}, below.
  
     {Ox gall}, the fresh gall of the domestic ox; -- used in the
        arts and in medicine.
  
     {Ox pith}, ox marrow. [Obs.] --Marston.
  
     {Ox ray} (Zool.), a very large ray ({Dicerobatis Giornae}) of
        Southern Europe. It has a hornlike organ projecting
        forward from each pectoral fin. It sometimes becomes
        twenty feet long and twenty-eight feet broad, and weighs
        over a ton. Called also {sea devil}.
  
     {To have the black ox tread on one's foot}, to be
        unfortunate; to know what sorrow is (because black oxen
        were sacrificed to Pluto). --Leigh Hunt.
        [1913 Webster]

From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:

  ox
       n 1: an adult castrated bull of the genus Bos; especially Bos
            taurus
       2: any of various wild bovines especially of the genera Bos or
          closely related Bibos [syn: {wild ox}]
       [also: {oxen} (pl)]

From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:

  oxen
       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: {cattle}, {cows}, {kine}, {Bos taurus}]

From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:

  oxen
       See {ox}