# Is there a singular word in English for the "bos taurus".

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-singular-word-in-english-for-the-bos-taurus/149487>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [January 18, 2003, 4:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-singular-word-in-english-for-the-bos-taurus/149487 "2003-01-18T16:38:56Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![syncrolecyne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f08c70/32.png) [@syncrolecyne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/syncrolecyne)\
**Post date:** [January 18, 2003, 4:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-singular-word-in-english-for-the-bos-taurus/149487/1 "2003-01-18T16:38:56Z")

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In the plural they are “cattle”. A male is a “bull” if fertile, an “ox” (for draft) or “steer” (for meat) if castrated, an adult female is a “cow”, a immature male or female is a “calf”. However is there one English word that names a _bos taurus_ in the singular without regard to sex or age?

I tried some searching in my dictionaries - all I found was that the plural of cow was once “kine”.

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**Author:** ![Achernar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e274bd/32.png) [@Achernar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Achernar)\
**Post date:** [January 18, 2003, 4:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-singular-word-in-english-for-the-bos-taurus/149487/2 "2003-01-18T16:46:07Z")

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[Cecil suggests “neat” or “beef”, among others](http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a3_097b.html). (Read the fourth, fifth, and sixth letters on that page.) I personally like the sound of “_bos taurus_” best. 🙂

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**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\
**Post date:** [January 18, 2003, 4:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-singular-word-in-english-for-the-bos-taurus/149487/3 "2003-01-18T16:51:47Z")

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From [www.m-w.com](http://www.m-w.com)

> [@](#):
>
> Main Entry: [sup]1[/sup]cow  
> Pronunciation: 'kau  
> Function: noun  
> Etymology: Middle English cou, from Old English cu; akin to Old High German kuo cow, Latin bos head of cattle, Greek bous, Sanskrit go  
> Date: before 12th century  
> 1 a : the mature female of cattle (genus Bos) b : the mature female of various usually large animals (as an elephant, whale, or moose)  
> **2 : a domestic bovine animal regardless of sex or age**

Emphasis added.