biology: any of a subfamily (Bovinae) of bovids including oxen, bison, buffalo, and their close relatives
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Bovine comes from the Latin word for "cow", though the biological family called the Bovidae actually includes not only cows and oxen but also goats, sheep, bison, and buffalo. So bovine is often used technically, when discussing "bovine diseases", "bovine anatomy", and so on. It can also describe a human personality, though it can be a rather unkind way to describe someone. When Hera, the wife of Zeus, is called "cow-eyed", though, it's definitely a compliment, and Zeus fairly melts when she turns those big bovine eyes on him.
Example Sentences
Adjective She stared at us with a stupid, bovine expression.
Recent Examples on the Web
Adjective
The bovine tissue is absorbed into the body within eight weeks, according to Rita Paparazzo, vice president of clinical operations at Westborough, Mass.-based Miach Orthopaedics Inc. which makes the implant. Aylin Woodward, WSJ, 7 Sep. 2022 For more butter bovine coverage, subscribe to the Vintage Chicago Tribune Newsletter. Chicago Tribune Staff, Chicago Tribune, 17 Aug. 2022 In neither case did surviving bovine speak or think kindly of the professional speed eaters. Scott Lafee, San Diego Union-Tribune, 2 Aug. 2022 Tangy yet agreeable, this beverage includes ten grams of bovine collagen peptides. Christine Byrne, Outside Online, 14 July 2021 Seating surfaces retain their bovine provenance, but the nappa leather gets a more environmentally friendly treatment via pine-tree bark and buckwheat used in the dyeing process. Jonathon Ramsey, Car and Driver, 21 June 2022 In a wooden barn perched on a grassy hill, some of the most celebrated cows in the dairy business — the bovine royal family of American fancy butter — sampled hay in their new abode. Melissa Clark, New York Times, 10 June 2022 Instead, these pieces were carved from bone — probably good old bovine bones of some nature. Tribune News Service, al, 1 June 2022 When not watching the equestrian or bovine sports, rodeo attendees can head to Agventure inside the NRG Center to pet all kinds of farm animals — or touch with your eyes only. Emma Balter, Chron, 18 Mar. 2022
Noun
This bovine maxim proves prophetic—though at some points it’s a near thing, for bravery doesn’t ensure survival, and the woods are full of danger. Meghan Cox Gurdon, WSJ, 12 Aug. 2022 Weighing in at up to a tonne, the bison is one beefy bovine. Victoria Turk, Wired, 19 July 2022 The owners were also on hand, trying to track down and corral the fugitive bovine. Emily Sweeney, BostonGlobe.com, 13 July 2022 The film shows an actual bovine perched atop one of the floats. Jane Recker, Smithsonian Magazine, 5 July 2022 The bovine was struck within a hundred yards of the family’s front porch, according to the farm’s post.al, 16 May 2022 The bovine was seen as a crucial ally in taming — and then claiming — the wildest of terrain.Washington Post, 29 Apr. 2022 Outside, Tye Martinez, 17, paused from grooming his steers, Diesel and Bullet, to recount the thrill of state fairs in the past, where participants paraded their bovine down a street lined with young children marveling at the enormous animals. Karin Brulliard, Anchorage Daily News, 27 Sep. 2021 Outside, Tye Martinez, 17, paused from grooming his steers, Diesel and Bullet, to recount the thrill of state fairs in the past, where participants paraded their bovine down a street lined with young children marveling at the enormous animals. Karin Brulliard, Anchorage Daily News, 27 Sep. 2021 See More
Word History
Etymology
Adjective and Noun
Late Latin bovinus, from Latin bov-, bos ox, cow — more at cow