WikiWord

English

ox

/ˈɑks/ · noun

Meaning

  1. An adult castrated male of cattle (B. taurus), especially when used as a beast of burden.
  2. Any bovine animal (genus Bos).
  3. Abbreviation of oxygen.
  4. A Chinese constellation located near Capricorn, one of the 28 lunar mansions and part of the larger Black Turtle.
  5. The second of the 12-year cycle of animals which appear in the Chinese zodiac related to the Chinese calendar.
  6. A surname.
  7. Clipping of Oxford.

Etymology / origin

From Middle English oxe, from Old English oxa, from Proto-West Germanic *ohsō, from Proto-Germanic *uhsô (compare West Frisian okse, Dutch os, German Ochse), from Proto-Indo-European *uksḗn. Cognate with Welsh ych (“ox”), Tocharian A ops, Tocharian B okso (“draft-ox”), Avestan 𐬎𐬑𐬱𐬀𐬥 (uxšan, “bull”), Sanskrit उ॒क्षन् (ukṣán).

Related words

Descendant words

Sources

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