aurochs

[ awr-oks ]

noun

, plural au·rochs.

1. a large, black European wild ox, Bos primigenius: extinct since 1627.
2. (not used scientifically) the European bison.

aurochs

/ ˈɔːrɒks /

noun

1. a recently extinct member of the cattle tribe, Bos primigenius, that inhabited forests in N Africa, Europe, and SW Asia. It had long horns and is thought to be one of the ancestors of modern cattle Also calledurus

Word History and Origins

Origin of aurochs¹

1760–70; < German, variant (now obsolete) of Auerochs, Middle High German ūrochse, Old High German ūrohso, equivalent to ūr (cognate with Old English ūr bison) + ohso ox

Word History and Origins

Origin of aurochs¹

C18: from German, from Old High German ūrohso, from ūro bison + ohso ox

Example Sentences

Sinding, who has extracted ancient DNA from Pleistocene wolves, woolly rhinoceroses and aurochs, was surprised and excited to hear that Colossal Biosciences planned to re-create the dodo.

From Scientific American

Banning offers another take on the bull scene: Rather than cowering with a rattle, the person may be crouching with a lasso, about to capture an aurochs, the extinct ancestor of domesticated cattle.

From Science Magazine

Bruno drives his battered Jeep through one of the most history-rich regions on Earth, where cave walls portray the aurochs and woolly mammoth.

From Washington Post

In the distant past, roaming herds of grazing animals like the now-extinct aurochs are thought to have kept trees away from such meadows.

From Science Magazine

She found that bullfighting breeds, which are bred for aggression and tend to have little human interaction outside fighting in the ring, have brain sizes nearly as large as those of wild aurochs.

From Science Magazine