uncowed









uncowed


verb (used with object)

  1. to frighten with threats, violence, etc.; intimidate; overawe.

noun

  1. the mature female of any species of cattle, esp domesticated cattle
  2. the mature female of various other mammals, such as the elephant, whale, and seal
  3. (not in technical use) any domestic species of cattle
  4. informal a disagreeable woman
  5. Australian and NZ slang something objectionable (esp in the phrase a fair cow)
  6. till the cows come home informal for a very long time; effectively for ever

verb

  1. (tr) to frighten or overawe, as with threats

n.Old English cu “cow,” from Proto-Germanic *kwon (cf. Old Frisian ku, Middle Dutch coe, Dutch koe, Old High German kuo, German Kuh, Old Norse kyr, Danish, Swedish ko), earlier *kwom, from PIE *gwous (cf. Sanskrit gaus, Greek bous, Latin bov-, Old Irish bo, Latvian guovs, Armenian gaus “cow,” Slovak hovado “ox”), perhaps ultimately imitative of lowing (cf. Sumerian gu, Chinese ngu, ngo “ox”). In Germanic and Celtic, of females only; in most other languages, of either gender. Other “cow” words sometimes are from roots meaning “horn, horned,” e.g. Lithuanian karve, Old Church Slavonic krava. v.“intimidate,” c.1600, probably from Old Norse kuga “oppress,” of unknown origin, but perhaps having something to do with cow (n.) on the notion of easily herded. Related: Cowed; cowing. In addition to the idiom beginning with cow

  • cow college
  • also see:

  • cash cow
  • holy cow
  • sacred cow
  • till the cows come home
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