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Meaning & use

bullocks

noun·Advanced

Last updated

UK/ˈbʊl.əks/
US/ˈbʊl.əks/

“bullocks” is a form of “bullock”. See that entry for the full set of meanings.

Meaning

  1. nounplural

    Young male cattle that have been castrated, kept for beef or for pulling loads.

    Grammar: Plural of bullock: the bullocks were led out.

    Patterns

    • a team of bullocks
    • bullocks pulling a cart

    A team of bullocks pulled the heavy cart up the hill.

    The farmer sold twelve bullocks at the autumn market.

    Bullocks grazed in the meadow beside the river.

Word forms

singularbullock

Common combinations

a team of bullocks
A team of bullocks dragged the logs.
yoke bullocks
They yoke the bullocks in pairs before dawn.
fatten bullocks
He fattens bullocks for the winter market.
bullocks and cows
Bullocks and cows were grazing together.
bullock cart
They traveled by bullock cart through the village.

Synonyms and how they differ

steers
Steers is the usual American word for castrated young cattle, while bullocks is more British and Australian.
oxen
Oxen are mature castrated cattle trained for work, while bullocks are usually younger.
cattle
Cattle is the general word for cows and bulls of any kind, with no mention of sex or age.

Word family

bullock noun
one young castrated bull
bull noun
an uncastrated adult male of cattle
bullock cart noun
a cart pulled by bullocks
bullock driver noun
a person who drives a team of bullocks, mainly in Australia

Commonly confused: bullocks or bollocks? bullocks or bulls?

bullocks vs bollocks

Bollocks is a vulgar British slang word that can mean testicles or nonsense, and it should not be mixed up with the cattle word bullocks.

bullocks vs bulls

Bulls are uncastrated adult male cattle, while bullocks are castrated.

Practice

What are bullocks?

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