heifer

noun

heif·​er ˈhe-fər How to pronounce heifer (audio)
: a young cow
especially : one that has not had a calf

Examples of heifer in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
There were posing frames with the biggest pumpkin, a bragging-sized giant cotton rainbow bass and a cutout and directions for posing with a giant heifer. Kathy Berdan, Twin Cities, 27 July 2025 Of the nearly 90 million, there were 37.2 million cows and heifers that calved, or gave birth, so far this year. Filip Timotija, The Hill, 23 July 2025 The beef market phenomenon is likely to extend years as ranchers wait for heifers to mature into calf-breeding cows, DeLay said. Miguel Otárola, Denver Post, 2 July 2025 During the dig, Neil and Irene Armstrong, who have lived on the land for more than two decades, temporarily moved their heifers from the field, as the couple told the Cumbria News & Star’s Paul McTaggart in August. Eli Wizevich, Smithsonian Magazine, 3 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for heifer

Word History

Etymology

Middle English hayfare, from Old English hēahfore

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of heifer was before the 12th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Heifer.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/heifer. Accessed 6 Aug. 2025.

Kids Definition

heifer

noun
heif·​er ˈhef-ər How to pronounce heifer (audio)
: a young cow
especially : one that has not had a calf

More from Merriam-Webster on heifer

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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