What does "cattle" mean?
Domesticated animal of the species Bos taurus (cows, bulls, steers, oxen etc), and other hoofed mammals of the genus Bos.
Cattle
/ˈkætəl/ name, noun, verb, slang
name, noun, verb, slang ·Common ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: Domesticated animal of the species Bos taurus (cows, bulls, steers, oxen etc), and other hoofed mammals of the genus Bos.
- Grammar: cattle is listed as name, noun, verb, slang.
- Nearest alternatives: alderney, and fish, animal kingdom, animal life.
- Usage evidence: And he chased the cattle, the sheep, and the people out of the temple.
How to use "cattle"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "cattle" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "cattle" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "cattle" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "cattle" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "cattle" is acting as name, noun, verb, slang in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "alderney" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "cattle", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 Domesticated animal of the species Bos taurus (cows, bulls, steers, oxen etc), and other hoofed mammals of the genus Bos. plural, plural-normally
"Many cattle were suffering from a disease called BSE."
- 2 domesticated bovine animals as a group regardless of sex or age wordnet
- 3 Certain other livestock, such as sheep, pigs or goats. Also rarely applied to horses. plural, plural-normally
"Mr. Jos had hired a pair of horses for his open carriage, with which cattle, and the smart London vehicle, he made a very tolerable figure in the drives about Brussels."
- 4 People who resemble domesticated bovine animals in behavior or destiny. derogatory, figuratively, plural, plural-normally
""I always knew it, but I always denied it, because I'm one of them, and I'm like them." ¶"We're just cattle," the Prison Governor said, relieved now."
- 5 chattel English, countable, obsolete, plural, plural-normally, sometimes
"goods and cattle"
Show 1 more definition
- 6 Used in restricted contexts to refer to the meat derived from cattle. plural, plural-normally, rare, uncountable
"The temptation of a lone white man was too great for any gathering of myall-natives, and sheep-fat and cattle-steak seemed there for the spearing, so that a stockman always ran the risk of attack, especially if his shepherds interfered with the native women."
Verb
- 1 Ellipsis of cattle truck (“to fuck: to break, destroy”). Cockney, abbreviation, alt-of, ellipsis, slang, transitive
"I would talk to rayburn, and the people who converted it..I have assumed from what you said that it was an old coal burner converted...or is it a revamped oil burner? In which case the revampers may have cattled it.."
Proper Noun
- 1 A surname.
Synonyms
All synonymsExample
"And he chased the cattle, the sheep, and the people out of the temple."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "cattle"?
Common synonyms include: alderney, and fish, animal kingdom, animal life, animalia, animality.
How do you use "cattle" in a sentence?
And he chased the cattle, the sheep, and the people out of the temple.
How do you pronounce "cattle"?
Pronounced /ˈkætəl/.
Etymology
From Middle English catel, from Anglo-Norman catel (“personal property”), from Old Northern French (compare French cheptel, Old French chetel, chatel, also English chattel) from Medieval Latin capitāle, from Latin capitālis (“of the head”) (whence also capital, from caput (“head”) + -alis (“-al”)). For the sense evolution, compare pecuniary and fee. Also compare Russian поголо́вье (pogolóvʹje, “total number of livestock”) from Russian голова́ (golová, “head”). Doublet of capital and chattel.