ox
1 of 2noun
ˈäks 
plural oxen ˈäk-sən also ox
also ox 1
: a domestic bovine mammal (Bos taurus)
broadly : a bovine mammal
a team of oxen
2
: an adult castrated male domestic ox
ox-
2 of 2combining form
variants or oxo-
: oxygen
oxacillin
Example Sentences
Recent Examples on the Web
Anna Marie De La Fuente, Variety, 18 Aug. 2022 Predictably, these provisions generated conflicting responses depending on whose ox was being gored. David Blackmon, Forbes, 1 Aug. 2022 Sekkyakushi’s painting of a boy on a water buffalo alludes to the 10 stages of ox herding, an allegory used to teach students about taming an unruly mind. Washington Post, 21 Apr. 2022 An 18-foot-tall statue of the legendary lumberjack and another of his blue ox, Babe, have been standing near the lake—and attracting kitsch-loving photo takers—for 85 years. Laura Kiniry, Smithsonian Magazine, 3 June 2022 Don't just watch your fellow Israelite's donkey or ox fall down in the road and do nothing about it. Elizabeth Berry, Woman's Day, 10 June 2022 The cucumber stands in for the ox, which stands in for the human: a life for a life for a life. New York Times, 11 May 2022 As usual, parties, fetes and ox roasts were held across the country. Tom Parker Bowles, Town & Country, 15 May 2022 The panels show a variety of scenes — a scholar at his desk with an attendant bringing tea, a child riding an ox, a farmer tying together a sheaf of wheat. Michelle Terris, Los Angeles Times, 10 May 2022 See More
Noun
The visit takes a bizarre turn when Amat starts having visions of a massive blood-red ox in the house. Anna Marie De La Fuente, Variety, 18 Aug. 2022 Predictably, these provisions generated conflicting responses depending on whose ox was being gored. David Blackmon, Forbes, 1 Aug. 2022 Sekkyakushi’s painting of a boy on a water buffalo alludes to the 10 stages of ox herding, an allegory used to teach students about taming an unruly mind. Washington Post, 21 Apr. 2022 An 18-foot-tall statue of the legendary lumberjack and another of his blue ox, Babe, have been standing near the lake—and attracting kitsch-loving photo takers—for 85 years. Laura Kiniry, Smithsonian Magazine, 3 June 2022 Don't just watch your fellow Israelite's donkey or ox fall down in the road and do nothing about it. Elizabeth Berry, Woman's Day, 10 June 2022 The cucumber stands in for the ox, which stands in for the human: a life for a life for a life. New York Times, 11 May 2022 As usual, parties, fetes and ox roasts were held across the country. Tom Parker Bowles, Town & Country, 15 May 2022 The panels show a variety of scenes — a scholar at his desk with an attendant bringing tea, a child riding an ox, a farmer tying together a sheaf of wheat. Michelle Terris, Los Angeles Times, 10 May 2022 See More Word History
Etymology
Noun
Middle English, from Old English oxa; akin to Old High German ohso ox, Sanskrit ukṣā bull, and perhaps to Sanskrit ukṣati he moistens, Greek hygros wet — more at humor entry 1
Combining form
French, from oxygène
First Known Use
Noun
before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Phrases Containing ox
Kids Definition
ox
noun
ˈäks
plural oxen
ˈäk-sən
also ox 1
: a male or female of common domestic cattle or a closely related animal (as a yak)
2
: an adult castrated male ox used especially for hauling loads