【医】 牛

[ noun ]
domesticated bovine animals as a group regardless of sex or age
<noun.animal>
so many head of cattlewait till the cows come home
seven thin and ill-favored kine
a team of oxen

Beef \Beef\ (b[=e]f), n. [OE. boef, befe, beef, OF. boef, buef,
F. b[oe]ef, fr. L. bos, bovis, ox; akin to Gr. boy^s, Skr.
g[=o] cow, and E. cow. See 2d {Cow}.]
1. An animal of the genus {Bos}, especially the common
species, {Bos taurus}, including the bull, cow, and ox, in
their full grown state; esp., an ox or cow fattened for
food.

Note: [In this, which is the original sense, the word has a
plural, beeves (b[=e]vz).]

A herd of beeves, fair oxen and fair kine.
--Milton.

2. The flesh of an ox, or cow, or of any adult bovine animal,
when slaughtered for food.

Note: [In this sense, the word has no plural.] ``Great meals
of beef.'' --Shak.

3. Applied colloquially to human flesh.