heifer

heifer
heifer O.E. heahfore, West Saxon; Northumbrian hehfaro, heffera (pl.), of unknown origin, not found outside English. The first element seems to be heah "high," common in O.E. compounds with a sense of "great in size." The second element may be related to O.E. fearr "bull," or to O.E. faran "to go" (giving the whole a sense of "high-stepper"); but there are serious sense difficulties with both conjectures. Liberman offers this alternative:
Old English seems to have had the word *hægfore 'heifer.' The first element (*hæg-) presumably meant 'enclosure' (as do haw and hedge), whereas -fore was a suffix meaning 'dweller, occupant' ....
In modern use, "a female that has not yet calved," as opposed to a cow, which has calved, and a calf, which is an animal of either sex not more than a year old. As derisive slang for "a woman, girl" it dates from 1835.

Etymology dictionary. 2014.

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  • Heifer — may refer to: *A young female cow before she has had her first calf *Red Heifer, in Judaism is a heifer that is sacrificed and whose ashes are used for the ritual purification. *Heifer International, a charitable organization *Heffer Wolfe, a… …   Wikipedia

  • Heifer — Heif er, n. [OE. hayfare, AS. he[ a]hfore, he[ a]fore; the second part of this word seems akin to AS. fearr bull, ox; akin to OHG. farro, G. farre, D. vaars, heifer, G. f[ a]rse, and perh. to Gr. ?, ?, calf, heifer.] (Zo[ o]l.) A young cow. [1913 …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • heifer — meaning ‘a cow that has not borne a calf’, is spelt this way …   Modern English usage

  • heifer — ► NOUN ▪ a cow that has not borne a calf, or has borne only one calf. ORIGIN Old English …   English terms dictionary

  • heifer — [hef′ər] n. [ME haifre < OE heahfore, lit., full grown young ox < heah, high, hence full grown (see HIGH) + fearr, bull, lit., young animal: see FARROW2] a young cow that has not borne a calf …   English World dictionary

  • heifer — noun /ˈhɛfə,ˈhɛfɚ/ a) 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,… …   Wiktionary

  • Heifer — In the list of English surnames associated with the keeping and breeding of cattle, this is the rarest form. Recorded in the surviving late medieval church registers as Heffer, Heffor, Heifer, and the later Hepher, the surname is seemingly job… …   Surnames reference

  • heifer n — 1) A dairy farmer had a heifer dozen calves. 2) Milk as the udder alternative has been heifer a long time …   English expressions

  • heifer — UK [ˈhefə(r)] / US [ˈhefər] noun [countable] Word forms heifer : singular heifer plural heifers a young cow that has not given birth to a calf …   English dictionary

  • heifer — /hef euhr/, n. a young cow over one year old that has not produced a calf. [bef. 900; ME hayfre, OE hea(h)f(o)re, equiv. to heah high + fore; akin to Gk póris heifer] * * * …   Universalium

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