cow

Meanings

1. 1
   noun

   A large female farm animal kept for its milk and meat.

   The farmer milks the cows every morning.

2. 2
   verb

   To frighten someone into doing what you want.

   The workers refused to be cowed by their boss's threats.

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Simplified etymology

Cow for the female bovine is an Old English word. The verb cow “intimidate,” recorded from the late 16th century, is unrelated and probably comes from Old Norse kúga “oppress.”

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *gʷṓws Proto-Germanic *kōz Proto-West Germanic *kō Old English cū Middle English cow English cow Inherited from Middle English cow, cou, from Old English cū (“cow”), from Proto-West Germanic *kō, from Proto-Germanic *kōz (“cow”), from Proto-Indo-European *gʷṓws (“cow”). Cognate with Sanskrit गो (go), Ancient Greek βοῦς (boûs), Persian گاو (gâv)), Latvian govs (“cow”), Proto-Slavic *govędo (Serbo-Croatian govedo, Russian говядина (govjadina, “beef”), Scots coo (“cow”), North Frisian ko, kø (“cow”), West Frisian ko (“cow”), Dutch koe (“cow”), Low German Koh, Ko…

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