Octopus vs Cow - What's the difference?
octopus | cow |
Any of several marine molluscs/mollusks, of the family '', having no internal or external protective shell or bone (unlike the nautilus, squid or cuttlefish) and eight arms each covered with suckers.
(uncountable) The flesh of these marine molluscs eaten as food.
An organization that has many powerful branches controlled from the centre.
A female domesticated ox or other bovine, especially an adult after she has had a calf.
More generally, any domestic bovine regardless of sex or age.
The meat of such animals as food (more commonly called beef).
The female of larger species of mammal, including bovines, moose, whales, seals, hippos, rhinos, manatees, and elephants.
(derogatory, informal) A woman who is considered despicable in some way, especially one considered to be fat, lazy, ugly, argumentative, mean or spiteful.
(informal) Anything that is annoyingly difficult, awkward or graceless.
(informal) A conniption fit or hissy fit; a state of agitation .
(mining) A wedge or brake to stop a machine or car; a chock.
To intimidate; to daunt the spirits or courage of.
* Shakespeare
(UK, dialect) A chimney cowl.
* 1836 , Charles Dickens, The Pickwick Papers ?
As a proper noun octopus
is .As an acronym cow is
(computing).octopus
English
(wikipedia octopus)Noun
(see usage notes)Usage notes
The plural octopi is hypercorrect, coming from the mistaken notion that the (term) in . The plural octopii is based on an incorrect attempt to pluralise the word based on an incorrect assumption of its origin, and is rare and widely considered to be nonstandard. Sources differ on which plurals are acceptable: (w, Fowler's Modern English Usage)'' asserts that “the only acceptable plural in English is octopuses”, while (Merriam-Webster) and other dictionaries accept (term) as a plural form. The ''(Oxford English Dictionary) lists (term), (term), and (term) (the order reflecting decreasing frequency of use), stating that the last form is rare. The term octopod (either plural octopods and octopodes can be found) is taken from the taxonomic order Octopoda but has no classical equivalent, and is not necessarily synonymous (it can encompass any member of that order). The collective form (term) is usually reserved for animals consumed for food.Derived terms
* octopean * octopian * octopic * octopine * octopuslike * octopussySynonyms
* polypusSee also
* calamari * cuttlefish * Kraken * nautilus * octopoid * squidAnagrams
* * English nouns with irregular plurals ----cow
English
Etymology 1
From (etyl) (m), (m), from (etyl) .Noun
(wikipedia cow) (en-noun) (see usage notes)- That website is a real cow to navigate.
- (Knight)
Usage notes
The plural cows is the normal plural for multiple individuals, while cattle is used in a more collective sense. The umlaut plurals ky, kye and kine are archaic and no longer in common use.Synonyms
* bitch * bastard, bitch, bugger (UK)Antonyms
* (female domesticated ox or other bovine) bullSee also
* (meat) chicken, pig, pork, goat, lamb, muttonDerived terms
(terms derived from "cow") * cowboy * cow catcher, cowcatcher * cow corner * cowgirl * cowherd * cowmilk, cow milk * cowpoke * cowpool * cowpuncher * cowshed * cow shot * cow tipping * cash cow * have a cow * holy cow * sacred cowSee also
* * beef * bovine * bull * calf * cattle * heifer * steer * low * moo * ox * vealEtymology 2
Probably from (etyl) .Verb
(en verb)- Con artists are not cowed by the law.
- To vanquish a people already cowed .
Etymology 3
Noun
(en noun)- Who could live to gaze from day to day on bricks and slates, who had once felt the influence of a scene like this? Who could continue to exist, where there are no cows but the cows on the chimneypots; nothing redolent of Pan but pan-tiles;