Meaning & use
cattle lowing
Last updated
Meaning
phrasefixed phraseliterary
The long, deep sound made by cows.
Grammar: Used as a noun phrase; it can be the subject or object of a sentence.
Patterns
- the cattle lowing
- the sound of cattle lowing
The cattle lowing in the field woke me before sunrise.
We could hear the cattle lowing softly in the distance.
The cattle lowing grew louder as the farmer approached with feed.
Common combinations
- the sound of cattle lowing
- The sound of cattle lowing drifted across the valley.
- cattle lowing in the field
- Cattle lowing in the field made the countryside feel peaceful.
- hear cattle lowing
- From the farmhouse, you can hear cattle lowing at dusk.
Synonyms and how they differ
- mooing
- The everyday word for the sound a cow makes; 'lowing' is more literary and usually describes a deeper or more mournful sound.
- bellowing
- A louder, more powerful animal sound; it can describe cows but also bulls, elephants, or people shouting.
Word family
- low verb
- To make the deep sound of a cow.
- lowing noun
- The act or sound of a cow making a low sound.
Commonly confused: cattle lowing or lowing?
cattle lowing vs lowing
Do not confuse with 'lowly' (humble, unimportant) or 'lowing' as the -ing form of 'low' meaning 'to moo'.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'cattle lowing' correctly?
Choose one answer.
'Cattle lowing' is a noun phrase meaning the sound cows make, so it fits as the subject of 'could be heard'. Option A treats it as a plural noun for the animals themselves, which is wrong; C confuses it with a bird; D makes it an agent that runs, which is illogical.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “cattle lowing”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.