ox

1 of 2

noun

plural oxen ˈäk-sən How to pronounce ox (audio) also ox
1
: a domestic bovine mammal (Bos taurus)
broadly : a bovine mammal
a team of oxen
2
: an adult castrated male domestic ox

ox-

2 of 2

combining form

variants or oxo-
: oxygen
oxacillin

Examples of ox in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
Knowing this, doctors traditionally used the pulse ox as one data point among many when determining a patient’s course of treatment. Corinne Purtill, Los Angeles Times, 20 Feb. 2024 There are 12 different animals in the race: rat, ox, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, goat, monkey, rooster, dog and pig. Julie Lin, Condé Nast Traveler, 16 Feb. 2024 The Chinese zodiac consists of 12 animals—the rat, ox, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, goat, monkey, rooster, dog and pig—that alternate every Lunar New Year. Catherine Duncan, Smithsonian Magazine, 9 Feb. 2024 The founders of Novo Nordisk acquired a formulation for insulin extracted from ox pancreas on a trip to Canada. WSJ, 19 Dec. 2023 The animal signs rotate each new year in this order: rat, ox, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, goat, monkey, rooster, dog, and pig. Emily Vanschmus, Better Homes & Gardens, 24 Jan. 2024 On divus Augustus’ birthday, September 23rd, for example, an ox would be slaughtered in his honor, while, on his wife’s birthday, a cow would be slaughtered for her. Mary Beard, The New Yorker, 26 June 2023 This litany includes the usual suspects—you and your children—but also many more: your servants, your ox and your ass, even the strangers in your midst. Casey Cep, The New Yorker, 30 Sep. 2023 Many of you knew him by his alias ‘Lotto, ox,’ a name that echoed his resilience and determination. Jon Blistein, Rolling Stone, 26 Sep. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'ox.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English, from Old English oxa; akin to Old High German ohso ox, Sanskrit ukṣā bull, and perhaps to Sanskrit ukṣati he moistens, Greek hygros wet — more at humor entry 1

Combining form

French, from oxygène

First Known Use

Noun

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of ox was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near ox

Cite this Entry

“Ox.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ox. Accessed 18 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

ox

noun
plural oxen ˈäk-sən How to pronounce ox (audio) also ox
1
: a common large domesticated bovine mammal which is kept for milk, draft, and meat and of which the female is a cow and the male a bull
especially : an adult castrated male
2
: any various related bovine mammals (as the buffalo)

More from Merriam-Webster on ox

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!