a recently extinct member of the cattle tribe, Bos primigenius, that inhabited forests in N Africa, Europe, and SW Asia. It had long horns and is thought to be one of the ancestors of modern cattle
Also called: urus
Word origin
C18: from German, from Old High German ūrohso, from ūro bison + ohsoox
aurochs in American English
(ˈɔˌrɑks)
nounWord forms: pluralˈauˌrochs
1. Rare
wisent
2.
urus
Word origin
Ger auerochs < OHG ūrohso < ūr, aurochs (< IE base *wer-, damp > urine & names of male animals, as L verres, boar, Sans vṣabháḥ, bull) + ohso, ox
Examples of 'aurochs' in a sentence
aurochs
Thy languid pools where nymphs do bathe; thy bowery banks where naiads bask; thy sweet waters where at dusk the unicorn and aurochs sup.