- The definition of a heifer is a young female cow that hasn't given birth to a calf.
A nine month old female cow with no offspring is an example of a heifer.
A young black and white heifer.
Origin of heiferMiddle English haifre ; from Old English heahfore, literally , full-grown young ox ; from heah, high, hence full-grown (see high) + fearr, bull, literally , young animal: see farrow
Origin of heiferMiddle English, from Old English hēahfore; see per&schwa;-1 in Indo-European roots.
- 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 or objectionable woman; a cow.
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 [script?] (śaknóti, “to be able”), Avestan [script?] (sak-, “to agree”)) and (2) -fore (compare English elver, fieldfare, Old English sceolfor (“cormorant”)).