cattle

cattle — noun

1. a group of large farm animals with four legs and horns, such as cows, bulls, and

1.nounB1
Definition

a group of large farm animals with four legs and horns, such as cows, bulls, and oxen, that people keep for their milk, meat, or skin

Example

The cattle are grazing in the field near Leila's farm.

cattle + plural verb (are grazing)

Priya's family keeps over two hundred head of cattle on their land.

count unit: head of cattle

Common collocations
  • raise cattle
  • breed cattle
  • graze cattle
  • dairy cattle
  • beef cattle
  • herd of cattle
  • head of cattle
  • cattle farm
  • cattle rancher
Synonyms
  • livestock

    broader term that includes cattle, sheep, pigs, goats, and other farm animals kept for use or profit

  • bovines

    scientific/formal term referring to any animal in the biological subfamily Bovinae; much less common in everyday speech

Grammar Patterns

cattle + plural verb

a head of cattle (singular unit)

a herd of cattle

Usage Note

Cattle has no singular form. You cannot say 'a cattle' to refer to one animal. Instead, use a specific word such as 'cow', 'bull', or 'steer', or the unit phrase 'a head of cattle'. Cattle always takes a plural verb (cattle are; cattle need), unlike collective nouns such as 'team' which can be singular.

Common Mistakes

A cattle is standing near the gate.
A cow is standing near the gate.' or 'A head of cattle is standing near the gate.
cattle is always plural; use a different word for a single animal.
The cattle is in the barn.
The cattle are in the barn.
cattle takes a plural verb, not a singular one.
I saw three cattles in the field.
I saw three head of cattle in the field.' or 'I saw three cows in the field.
cattle itself is already plural; you do not add -s.

Word family

  • cattleman
    nounB2
  • cattle ranch
    nounB2
  • cattle farming
    nounB2
  • chattel
    nounC2

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

Cattle refers specifically to domesticated cows, bulls, and oxen kept on farms. Livestock is a broader term covering all animals raised on a farm — cattle, sheep, pigs, goats, and poultry are all livestock. Bovines is a scientific category used mainly in biology or veterinary contexts; you would rarely hear it in everyday conversation. Herd is the collective noun for a group of cattle, but it can also describe groups of other grazing animals (a herd of buffalo, a herd of elephants). In short: use cattle for the animals themselves, livestock for the wider farm-animal category, and herd when you want to talk about the group as a moving unit.

cattle ↗livestock ↗bovinesherd

Common collocations

Nouns

  • dairy cattle
  • beef cattle
  • cattle farm
  • cattle rancher
  • cattle market
  • cattle feed
  • cattle disease

Phrases

  • head of cattle
  • herd of cattle
  • raise cattle
  • breed cattle
  • graze cattle
  • drive cattle
  • keep cattle

Etymology

LatinOld FrenchMiddle EnglishEnglish

Cattle comes from the Old French word 'catel' (meaning property or wealth), which in turn comes from Latin 'capitale' (property, capital). In medieval times, owning cattle was a direct measure of a person's wealth — so the same word that gave us 'capital' and 'chattel' also gave us 'cattle'. The connection between livestock and property is still visible in the legal term 'chattel' (personal property).