Vocabulary: animal

1. a small, dark, often slightly raised mark on the skin

   She has a small mole above her lip.

2. a small burrowing mammal with dark fur and very poor eyesight

   Moles left small mounds of dirt across the lawn.

3. a spy who works from within an organization to secretly pass on information

   The agency suspected there was a mole.

"Flock" is the collective noun for sheep, goats, and birds. Cows = herd; fish = school; wolves = pack.

1. a group of birds, sheep, or goats

   A flock of geese flew overhead.

2. a large number of people

   Tourists came in flocks to see the festival.

3. a Christian congregation under the care of a particular priest

   The pastor addressed his flock on Sunday.

1. a container, especially a small one, in which something is packed or sold

   He bought a pack of cigarettes.

2. a group of animals, especially wolves or dogs, that hunt together; (figurative) any group

   A pack of wolves circled the deer.

3. a complete set of playing cards

   He shuffled the pack and dealt the cards.

"Claw machine": arcade game with grabber. "Claws" was famous comeback against the "Jaws" movie. "Lobster claw": popular seafood.

• a sharp curved nail on the foot of an animal or bird

  The cat sharpened its claws.

From Latin "omnis" (all) + "vorare" (devour). Humans, bears, and pigs are classic omnivore examples.

• an animal that eats both plants and meat

  Humans are omnivores.

• a long, pointed tooth that protrudes from the mouth of certain animals such as elephants, walruses, and wild boars

  Poachers kill elephants for their ivory tusks.

• to tame an animal or breed a plant so that it can live with or be used by humans

  Dogs were domesticated from wolves thousands of years ago.

Japanese loanword (literally "Japanese cow"). Kobe beef is a famous type of Wagyu.

• any of several Japanese breeds of cattle prized for the heavy fat marbling in their meat; the meat from these cattle

  The restaurant features Wagyu burgers from a local farm.

1. the offspring of a male donkey and a female horse, used as a working animal; known for stubbornness and strength

   Mules carried supplies up the mountain trail.

2. (informal) a person who is used to smuggle drugs across borders, often unknowingly or under threat

   She was arrested at the airport for being a drug mule.

3. a backless shoe or slipper

   She slipped on a pair of suede mules to answer the door.

• a young deer in its first year

  A spotted fawn stood at the edge of the meadow.

• the foot of an animal that has claws or nails, such as a dog, cat, or bear

  The puppy gave me her paw.

Always treated as singular or as a collective; no plural "livestocks".

• farm animals kept for use or profit, such as cattle, sheep, and pigs

  The farmer raises livestock on his ranch.

Antonym: wild.

1. (of an animal) not dangerous or afraid of people

   The deer in the park have become very tame.

2. not exciting; dull

   The party was tame compared to last year's.

Root of foxy.

• a small wild mammal of the dog family with a pointed face and bushy tail

  A fox darted across the road at dusk.

"On a short leash" = under strict control. "Off the leash" = free to act.

• a strap or cord used for holding or guiding an animal, especially a dog

  She kept her dog on a leash in the park.

"Hounds" specifically refers to hunting dogs (e.g., greyhound, foxhound).

• a dog used for hunting

  The hounds chased the fox through the woods.

Plural: hooves or hoofs. "On the hoof" (British) = (1) (of animals) alive, (2) without proper planning.

• the horny part of the foot of an ungulate animal, especially a horse

  The horse's hooves clattered on the cobblestones.

Many idioms: "hold your horses" = wait; "horse around" = mess around; "straight from the horse's mouth" = from an authoritative source.

• a large four-legged mammal with hooves, used for riding and pulling loads

  She rode the horse along the beach.

1. (countable) the record of an animal's ancestors, especially showing it to be pure-bred

   The dog has an impressive pedigree.

2. (uncountable) a person's background or qualifications

   He has the pedigree to lead the company.

• not in the right place; separated from the group

  A stray dog wandered into the yard.

• a domestic animal that has wandered away from home; a stray dog or cat

  They adopted a stray from the shelter.

Different sense from the adjective: etymologically related (both from Latin stare "to stand") but functionally distinct in modern English.

• a building in which horses are kept

  She mucked out the stable each morning.

"Cat litter" = absorbent material for cat toilet boxes.

• a number of young animals born to one mother at one time

  The dog had a litter of six puppies.

"Grazing" (informal) can also mean snacking throughout the day rather than eating proper meals.

1. (of animals) to eat grass in a field

   Cows grazed peacefully in the meadow.

2. to touch or scrape lightly

   The bullet just grazed his arm.

Specific to certain animals: herd of cattle/elephants/buffalo. Compare: flock (sheep/birds), pack (wolves), school (fish), pride (lions). "Herd immunity" = epidemiological concept.

• a large group of animals, especially cattle

  They saw a herd of elephants by the river.

From Latin herba (plant) + vorare (to devour). Contrast: carnivore (meat-eater), omnivore (both), insectivore (insect-eater).

• an animal that feeds on plants

  Cows are herbivores.

"Rabbit burrow", "badger burrow". "Down the rabbit hole": getting deeply absorbed in something (from Alice in Wonderland).

• a hole made by an animal as a dwelling

  The rabbit hid in its burrow.

"The buck stops here": Harry Truman's famous desk sign about responsibility. "Buck": male deer. "Make a fast buck": make money quickly. "Big bucks" = a lot of money.

1. (informal) a dollar

   It cost me ten bucks.

2. a male deer

   The hunter spotted a buck.

Past tense: bred. "Familiarity breeds contempt": proverb. "Breed" can also mean produce offspring (animals).

• to cause (animals) to reproduce

  They breed horses on the farm.

• a type or variety of animal

  The Labrador is a popular breed of dog.

"Bear market", declining stock market (opposite: bull market). "Teddy bear": named after President Theodore Roosevelt.

• a large heavy mammal with thick fur

  A bear walked through the campground.

Plural: oxen. Male cattle, typically castrated and used for draft work. "Strong as an ox": common simile. Year of the Ox in Chinese zodiac.

• a castrated male cow used as a draft animal

  The ox pulled the cart.

"Empty nest syndrome": sadness when children leave home. "Nest egg": money saved for future. "Bird's nest soup": Chinese delicacy made from swiftlet saliva.

• a structure built by a bird to lay eggs

  The robin built a nest in our tree.

"Go whole hog" = do something completely. "Hog the road" = drive selfishly. "Hog" also = motorcycle (esp. Harley). "Wild hog" = boar.

• a domesticated pig, especially a large one

  They raise hogs on the farm.

Fur industry has been controversial since the 1980s anti-fur movement. "Faux fur": synthetic alternative. Mink, sable, fox, chinchilla are valuable fur sources.

• the soft thick hair of certain animals

  She wore a fur coat.

Homophone of "main". "Lion's mane": male lion's distinctive feature. "Mane of hair": figurative for thick flowing hair.

• long hair on the neck of an animal

  The horse tossed its mane.

Plural: buffalo or buffaloes. American "buffalo" usually = bison (technically a different animal). True buffalo are in Africa and Asia. "Buffalo wings": spicy chicken from Buffalo, NY.

• a large wild ox-like animal

  A herd of buffalo crossed the plain.

Iconic American symbol: red wood with white trim. "Barn raising": community-built barn (Amish tradition). "Barn dance": folk dance.

• a large farm building

  The horses were kept in the barn.

"Beauty and the Beast": classic fairy tale. "Mark of the Beast": biblical reference. Modern slang: "a beast" = an impressive performer/athlete.

• an animal, especially a large or wild one

  They tracked the beast through the forest.

From Arabic "attabi" (a striped silk). Tabby is the most common cat coat pattern: "M" mark often visible on forehead.

• a cat with a striped coat

  Their tabby cat curled up by the fire.

From Latin "caro" (flesh) + "vorare" (devour). Trio with herbivore and omnivore. "Carnivore diet": extreme meat-only fad diet.

• a meat-eating animal

  Lions are carnivores.

Always plural: no singular "cattle" (use "cow" or "head of cattle"). "Cattle call": mass open audition. "Treat people like cattle": pejorative.

• large farm animals kept for meat or milk

  The rancher owned 200 cattle.

From Latin "bos" (ox). Also figurative (mildly insulting): "bovine expression", dull, unintelligent look. "Bovine spongiform encephalopathy" = mad cow disease.

• relating to cattle

  Bovine diseases can be contagious.

Plural unchanged: sheep. "Black sheep" = family outcast. "Wolf in sheep's clothing" = disguised threat. "Counting sheep": supposedly helps you sleep.

• a domesticated farm animal kept for wool and meat

  The shepherd counted the sheep.

From Latin "hibernare" (to winter). Bears famously hibernate, but technically they enter "torpor" (lighter version). Computing: "hibernate" mode saves state to disk.

• (of animals) to spend winter in a deep sleep

  Bears hibernate through the winter.

• a gray North American mammal with a ringed tail and mask-like face

  A raccoon knocked over the trash can.

1. an adult male sheep

   The ram lowered its horns and charged.

2. a heavy device or part used for striking or pushing something with force

   The old fortress gate was broken down by a battering ram.

• an animal hunted and eaten by another animal

  Owls hunt small prey at night.

Three senses: an animal's nose/mouth, a guard strapped over it, and the open end of a gun barrel.

1. the projecting nose and mouth of an animal

   The dog nudged me with its wet muzzle.

2. a guard fitted over an animal's mouth to stop it biting

   The vet slipped a muzzle on the nervous dog.

3. the open end of the barrel of a gun

   Smoke curled from the muzzle of the rifle.

Plural is also 'swine'. Formal/farming word for pigs; also an insult. 'Swine flu' = H1N1.

1. a pig, or pigs collectively (formal or farming use)

   The farmer raised swine and cattle.

2. (informal) a contemptible or unpleasant person

   You lied to her, you swine.

From Latin 'felis' = cat. The dog equivalent is 'canine'.

• relating to cats or the cat family

  The cheetah moved with incredible feline grace.

• a member of the cat family

  Lions and other large felines roamed the plain.

From Latin 'fera' (wild animal).

1. (of an animal) wild, especially after escaping from domestication

   Feral cats roamed the alley.

2. wild and uncontrolled; savage

   The crowd turned feral when the gates opened.

Literary word for a snake; associated with the serpent in the Garden of Eden.

• a large snake (literary or biblical)

  A serpent coiled around the branch.

• a leopard, especially a black one; a puma

  A black panther.

• a young, uncastrated male horse, in particular one less than four years old

  A frisky colt.

• a large semiaquatic reptile similar to a crocodile but with a broader and shorter head, native to the Americas and China

  A Florida alligator.

• to search widely for food or provisions

  The birds forage for aquatic insects.