aurochs
/ˈaʊɹɒks/ noun
Forms aurochsen aurochses auroch aurox
- noun An extinct European mammal, Bos primigenius, the ancestor of domestic cattle.
- noun (zoology) The European bison (Bos bonasus, or Europæus).
Synonyms
Etymology
Borrowed from German Aurochs, an early variant of Auerochse, from Middle High German ūrochse (“aurochs”), from Old High German ūrohso (“aurochs”), a compound consisting of ūro (“aurochs”) (from Proto-Germanic *ūraz, *ūrô (“aurochs”)) + ohso (“ox”). Akin to Old English ūr (“aurochs”), Old Norse úrr (“aurochs”), Middle Low German ūrosse (“aurochs”), Old English oxa (“ox”). More at ox.
See the etymology of the corresponding lemma form.
Webster’s 1913
- noun The European bison (Bison bonasus, or Europæus), once widely distributed, but now nearly extinct, except where protected in the Lithuanian forests, and perhaps in the Caucasus. It is distinct from the Urus of Cæsar, with which it has often been confused.
Etymology [G. auerochs, OHG. ; (cf. AS. ) + ohso ox, G. ochs. Cf. Owre, Ox.]
Sources: Wiktionary · WordNet 3.0 · Webster’s 1913 — from the Wiktionary entry “aurochs”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details