ox

1 of 2

noun

ˈäks How to pronounce ox (audio)
plural oxen ˈäk-sən How to pronounce ox (audio) also ox
1
: a domestic bovine mammal (Bos taurus)
broadly : a bovine mammal
a team of oxen
2
: an adult castrated male domestic ox

ox-

2 of 2

combining form

variants or oxo-
: oxygen
oxacillin

Examples of ox 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.
Noun
Earning our Editor's Choice Award for high-end fitness tracker, the Garmin Vivoactive 4 measures tons of advanced metrics, including (underwater) heart rate, respiration rate, stress level, pulse ox, and more, with access to over 20 preloaded sports apps and on-screen animations. —Cierra Cowan, PCMAG, 12 Nov. 2024 The actual black ox comes in at this point, the unnamed man leaning on it as livelihood as the Tsuta watches him through menial tasks, often in thundering rain. —Kambole Campbell, IndieWire, 5 Nov. 2024 Viking economics During the Viking Age, an ox would cost 2 öre of silver or 50 grams of silver. —Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 14 Aug. 2024 Factors like skin tone, nail polish, and device errors can affect accuracy of the pulse ox reading. —Julie Scott, Msn, Anp-Bc, Aocnp, Verywell Health, 13 Sep. 2024 See all Example Sentences for ox 

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English, from Old English oxa; akin to Old High German ohso ox, Sanskrit ukṣā bull, and perhaps to Sanskrit ukṣati he moistens, Greek hygros wet — more at humor entry 1

Combining form

French, from oxygène

First Known Use

Noun

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

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

Phrases Containing ox

Dictionary Entries Near ox

ox-

ox

oxa-

See More Nearby Entries 

Cite this Entry

“Ox.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ox. Accessed 1 Dec. 2024.

Copy Citation

Share

Kids Definition

ox

noun
ˈäks How to pronounce ox (audio)
plural oxen ˈäk-sən How to pronounce ox (audio) also ox
1
: a common large domesticated bovine mammal which is kept for milk, draft, and meat and of which the female is a cow and the male a bull
especially : an adult castrated male
2
: any various related bovine mammals (as the buffalo)

More from Merriam-Webster on ox

Nglish: Translation of ox for Spanish Speakers

Britannica English: Translation of ox for Arabic Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about ox

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See All

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)

Plural and Possessive Names: A Guide

The Difference Between 'i.e.' and 'e.g.'

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See All

Popular in Wordplay

See All

Terroir, Oenophile, & Magnum: Ten Words About Wine

8 Words for Lesser-Known Musical Instruments

10 Words from Taylor Swift Songs (Merriam's Version)

9 Superb Owl Words

15 Words That Used to Mean Something Different
See All

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Word Game Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
sweet smart pug puppy dog sitting in front of blackboard with chalk question marks
Commonly Confused Words Quiz Vol. 3 Do you have a (flare/flair) for choosing the righ...