bovine
bovine Lexical Profile
bovine Game Scores & Validity
• adjective
Relating to, affecting, or resembling cattle or related species in the cattle group.
"The veterinary researchers focused their study exclusively on bovine diseases and herd immunity."
Sluggish, unresponsive, or displaying a dull and slow-witted nature.
"He stared at the complex mathematical equation with a bovine expression of absolute confusion."
• noun
Any of a subfamily of large, even-toed ungulates typically possessing hollow horns, including domestic cattle, bison, buffalo, and yaks.
"The expansive northern pasture was home to a massive herd of grazing bovines."
Word Nuance & Usage
When applied to humans, 'bovine' carries a highly derogatory nuance, implying dullness, slowness, or a lack of intellectual acuity, in stark contrast to its neutral scientific application to cattle.
• Rhymes for bovine
Word Origin & Etymology
Derived in the mid-19th century from Late Latin 'bovinus', which comes from the Latin 'bos' or 'bov-', meaning 'ox' or 'cow'.
Usage Trend
Historical frequency of usage in published text.