noun
heifer
HEH-fuh
noun
1
A young female cow that has not yet given birth to a calf.
"The farmer kept the heifer separate from the milking herd."
How to Use Heifer
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishA young cow before she's had her first calf.
Memory tip
Once she has calved, she's usually just called a "cow," not a heifer anymore.
Trace the full origin ↓Word Forms
heifers plural
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The farmer kept the _____ separate from the milking herd.
Etymology
From Old English hēahfore, a word of disputed origin found only in English, with no clear match in other Germanic languages.