Heifer
Pronunciation
- IPA: /ˈhɛfə(ɹ)/, IPA: /ˈhɛfɚ/
- Rhymes: -ɛfə(ɹ)
Origin
Middle English hayfare, hayfre, from Old English heahfore, hēahfre, compound of (1) *heag- ("mating") (compare dialectal German Hagen, Hegel ("breeding bull"), Middle Dutch haechdroese ("genitals"), Old English hagan ("id.")), from Proto-Indo-European *ḱak- ("to be able, help") (compare Sanskrit (śaknóti, "to be able"), Avestan (sak-, "to agree")) and (2) -fore (compare English elver, fieldfare, Old English sceolfor ("cormorant")).
Anatoly Liberman, An Analytic Dictionary of English Etymology: An Introduction, s.v. “heifer†(Minneapolis: U of Minnesota P, 2008), 101-5.
Full definition of heifer
Noun
heifer
(plural heifers)- A young female bovine (cow) that has not yet had a calf.1611 And the LORD spake unto Moses and unto Aaron, saying, This is the ordinance of the law which the LORD hath commanded, saying, Speak unto the children of Israel, that they bring thee a red heifer without spot, wherein is no blemish, and upon which never came yoke — Numbers 19:1-2 KJV
- (slang) An ugly, fat or objectionable woman; a cow.
- 2001, Glenda Howard, Cita's WorldMy hand was aching to slap that silly heifer. I told her to take her trifling ass down to Burger King and get herself a job flipping burgers...
- 2002, Francis Ray et al, Gettin' Merry: A Holiday Anthology...the woman who'd referred to her as a fat yellow heifer earlier that day...
- 2002, Linda Hudson-Smith, One Moment in TimeShe picked up the house phone on the first ring but heard nothing on the other end. This silly heifer wanted to play childish games...