Cow
Webster's Dictionary [1]
(1): (v. t.) To depress with fear; to daunt the spirits or courage of; to overawe.
(2): (n.) A chimney cap; a cowl
(3): (n.) The mature female of bovine animals.
(4): (n.) The female of certain large mammals, as whales, seals, etc.
(5): (n.) A wedge, or brake, to check the motion of a machine or car; a chock.
King James Dictionary [2]
COW, n. plu. cows old plu. kine. The female of the bovine genus of animals a quadruped with cloven hoofs, whose milk furnishes an abundance of food and profit to the farmer.
Sea-cow, the Manatus, a species of the Trichechus. See Sea-cow.
COW, To depress with fear to sink the spirits or courage to oppress with habitual timidity.
Easton's Bible Dictionary [3]
Leviticus 22:28 Exodus 23:19 Deuteronomy 22:6,7 Isaiah 7:21-25
Morrish Bible Dictionary [4]
The words used, except in Isaiah 7:21 , do not necessarily imply the female,the same Hebrew being employed for 'bullock,' ' herd,' etc. the gender being shown by the context.
Smith's Bible Dictionary [5]
Cow. See Bull .
Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological and Ecclesiastical Literature [6]
occurs in the Auth. Vers., (See Kine) as the translation of פָּרָה ( Parah , Job 21:10; Isaiah 11:7; elsewhere usually "Kine "), עֶגְלָה ( Eglah , Isaiah 7:21, "a young cow"), a heifer (as usually elsewhere), בָּקָר , ( Bakar , "kine," Deuteronomy 32:14; 2 Samuel 17:29; "cow"-dung, Ezekiel 4:15; a young "cow," Isaiah 7:21), any animal of the ox kind (elsewhere "bullock," "herd," etc.), and שׁוֹר ( Shor , Leviticus 22:28; Numbers 18:17), any beef animal (usually an "ox"). (See Bull); (See Cattle); (See Ox). The first of the above Hebrews words (generally found in the plur. פָּרוֹת , Paroth , rendered "kine" in Genesis 41:2-4, and "heifer" in Numbers 19:2), properly signifies a heifer or young cow in milk ( 1 Samuel 6:7); also as bearing the yoke ( Hosea 4:16). In Amos 4:1, the phrase "kine or heifers of Bashan" is used metaphorically for the voluptuous females of Samaria. (See Bashan).
By the Mosaic law ( Leviticus 22:28), a cow and her calf were not to be killed on the same day. Similar precepts are found in Exodus 23:19; Deuteronomy 22:6-7. Whether they were designed to prevent inhumanity, or referred to some heathen custom, is uncertain. The cow is esteemed holy by the Hindoos. In the remarkable prophecy ( Isaiah 7:21-25), the event foretold is, that the face of the land of Judah should be so completely changed, and the inhabitants so greatly reduced in number, that, with only a single young cow, and two sheep, a family should be supplied with an abundance of milk and butter; and vineyards, which before commanded a high rent, should be overgrown with briers and thorns. It may be observed that dried cow-dung was, in Palestine, commonly used for fuel, as it is at the present day among the Arabs, but it is remarkably slow in burning; on this account the Arabs frequently threaten to burn a person with cowdung as a lingering death. This fuel forms a striking contrast to the short-lived and noisy violence of thorns and furze, which are speedily consumed with a "crackling" noise ( Ecclesiastes 7:6). Roberts, on Ezekiel 4:15, observes: "In some places, firewood being very scarce, the people gather cow-dung, make it into cakes, and dry it in the sun, after which it is ready for fuel. Those who are accustomed to have their food prepared in this way prefer it to any other; they tell you it is sweeter and more holy, as the fuel comes from their sacred animal." (See Dung).
