Ŏx, n.

n.; pl. ŎX'EN (ŏks'n). [A.-S. oxa, ohsa, O. Fries. oxa, Icel. ox, oxe, oxi, Sw. & Dan. oxe, O. H. Ger. ohso, M. H. Ger. ohse, N. H. Ger. ochs, ochse, D. os, Goth. auhsa, auhsus, allied to Skr. ukshan, wokshas, Lat. vacca, Gael. agh, W. ych, Armor. os.] The male of the bovine genus of quadrupeds, especially when castrated and grown to its full size, or nearly so.

☞ The young male is called, in America, a steer. The same animal, not castrated, is called a bull. These distinctions are well established in regard to domestic animals of this genus. When wild animals of this kind are spoken of, ox is very often applied both to the male and female. The name ox is never applied to the cow, or female of the domestic kind. Oxen, in the plural, may comprehend both the male and female.