Added 8 October 2026
cattle
/ˈkætəl/ noun
In Latin: pecu Wiktionary
noun Definition from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about cattle at Wordnik → Where our words come from →
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Domesticated animals of the species Bos taurus (cows, bulls, steers, oxen etc), and other hoofed mammals of the genus Bos.
Many cattle were suffering from a disease called BSE.
- Certain other livestock, such as sheep, pigs or goats. Also rarely applied to horses.
- People who resemble domesticated bovine animals in behavior or destiny.
verb
Origin
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.
From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)