Cow

A cow is the mature female of domesticated cattle, usually classified as *Bos taurus*.

A cow is the mature female of domesticated cattle, usually classified as Bos taurus. In common usage, the word is also often used more broadly for domestic bovines regardless of sex or age, but this is less precise. Cows are even-toed, hoofed ruminants raised widely for milk, meat, hides, and draft work.

Definition and terminology

In strict usage, a cow is an adult female bovine, especially a female of domestic cattle. In everyday speech, 'cow' may refer to domestic cattle more generally, regardless of sex or age. The term can also apply to the adult female of some other large mammals, such as elephants, whales, seals, and moose.

Classification and anatomy

Cows are mammals in the order Artiodactyla and the family Bovidae, within the subfamily Bovinae. They are even-toed ungulates with cloven hooves and are adapted for cud-chewing digestion.

Diet and digestion

Cows are herbivores that primarily eat grasses and other plant matter. Their four-chambered stomach helps them break down fibrous plant material through rumination.

Human use and domestication

Humans have long domesticated cattle and use them for milk, beef, leather, and farm labour. Cattle have also been economically important in many agricultural societies.

Related terms

Related cattle terms include heifer for an immature female, bull for an intact male, steer for a castrated male, and calf for a young animal. These terms are used more precisely than 'cow' in livestock contexts.