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Glite Dictionary
🌊 U-shaped river bend 🐂 U-shaped yoke part
oxbow

oxbow

9.9
A U-shaped wooden frame that fits around an ox's neck to help it pull heavy loads
  • noun
  • /ˈɑksboʊ/
translation icon : yugo
  • The oxbow fits well.

Examples

  • The farmer placed the oxbow around the animal's neck before attaching it to the plow.

  • Traditional yokes and oxbows are still used in some rural communities around the world.

  • One oxbow broke under pressure, making the yoke unusable until it was repaired.

  • Look at that oxbow!

  • The farmer fitted an oxbow around the neck of the ox before starting the plow.

  • In ancient times, an oxbow was essential for guiding oxen through the fields.

  • To harness the ox for heavy pulling, he carefully attached the oxbow to the yoke.

Compounds

oxbow lake
  • Specialized
7.9

A curved lake left when a river makes a loop and is cut off

Surface Forms

oxbow singular
oxbows plural

Morphology

oxbow = ox + bow (transparent) = ox + bow

Direct compound 'ox' + 'bow' naming the U-shaped frame for an ox; learners who know 'ox' and 'bow' can readily infer this meaning.

Etymology

Oxbow comes from ox 'a large farm animal' and bow 'a curve'. An oxbow was the U-shaped piece of wood that fit around an ox's neck to help it pull a load, which is why the tool has this name.