Cow
A cow is the mature female of domesticated cattle, usually classified as *Bos taurus*.
A cow is the mature female of domesticated cattle (Bos taurus). In everyday speech, the word is often used for any domestic bovine, but the precise meaning is an adult female.
What it is
Cow most precisely means the mature female of domesticated cattle. In less technical usage, it can refer to domestic cattle in general, and in biology it may extend to mature females of other large mammals like elephants, whales, seals, and moose.
Key details
Cows are mammals in the order Artiodactyla, family Bovidae. They are even-toed ungulates with cloven hooves and a four-chambered stomach adapted for digesting tough grasses through rumination.
Why it matters
Humans have domesticated cattle for thousands of years. Cows are raised for milk, meat, hides, and draft labour. In Canada, cattle are a key part of agriculture, especially in beef and dairy production.
In short
- Cow is an adult female bovine in strict usage.
- Cows are ruminants with a four-chambered stomach.
- Cattle are raised for milk, meat, hides, and draft power.
- The term also applies to adult females of some other large mammals.
Cattle are an important part of Canadian agriculture, especially in beef and dairy production, and cows are familiar on farms across the country. The term is also widely used in Canadian English in the same sense as standard English.
Quick questions
What is a cow?
Are cows herbivores?
What are cows used for?
Sources
- Britannica — https://www.britannica.com/animal/cowSupports: Definition of cow; classification within Artiodactyla, Bovidae, Bovinae, and Bos
- Simple English Wikipedia — https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/CattleSupports: Cattle as Bos genus animals; cloven hooves; four-chambered stomach; herbivorous diet
- Britannica — https://www.britannica.com/summary/cowSupports: Mature female of domesticated cattle; broader usage for other large mammals
- Merriam-Webster — https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cowSupports: Dictionary definitions for cow as adult female cattle and broader meanings
- PBS Nature — https://www.pbs.org/wnet/nature/group/mammals/cow/Supports: Cattle classification and uses for meat, milk, and draft work
- Animal Legal & Historical Center — https://www.animallaw.info/article/biological-summary-cattleSupports: Domestication history, four-section stomach, rumination, social behavior
- Britannica Kids — https://kids.britannica.com/kids/article/cattle/352928Supports: Uses of cattle; female naming; economic importance