[ 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
Kine \Kine\ (k[imac]n), n. pl. [For older kyen, formed like oxen, fr. AS. c[=y], itself pl. of c[=u] cow. See {Cow}, and cf. {Kee}, {Kie}.] Cows. ``A herd of fifty or sixty kine.'' --Milton.
Kin \Kin\ (k[i^]n), n. Also Kine \Kine\ (k[imac]n). [Gr. kinei^n to move.] (Physics) The unit velocity in the C. G. S. system -- a velocity of one centimeter per second. [Webster 1913 Suppl.]
Cow \Cow\, n.; pl. {Cows} (kouz); old pl. {Kine} (k[imac]n). [OE. cu, cou, AS. c[=u]; akin to D. koe, G. kuh, OHG. kuo, Icel. k[=y]r, Dan. & Sw. ko, L. bos ox, cow, Gr. boy^s, Skr. g[=o]. [root]223. Cf. {Beef}, {Bovine}, {Bucolic}, {Butter}, {Nylghau}.] 1. The mature female of bovine animals.
2. The female of certain large mammals, as whales, seals, etc.