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Glite Dictionary
springing cow

springing cow

9.3
A cow close to giving birth
  • noun
  • Jargon
translation icon : vaca preñada
  • The veterinarian checked the springing cow to ensure she was healthy before calving.

Examples

  • Proper nutrition is important for a springing cow during the final days of pregnancy.

  • Farmers pay special attention to a springing cow because she could deliver at any time.

  • The farmer has a springing cow in the barn.

  • She noticed a springing cow in the field.

  • Farmers pay special attention to a springing cow because she could deliver at any time.

  • Proper nutrition is important for a springing cow during the final days of pregnancy.

  • The veterinarian checked the springing cow to ensure she was healthy before calving.

Synonyms

springer
vsspringing cow
  • Jargon
2 9.9

A cow that is about to give birth to a calf

is the general expression for being close to giving birth without naming offspring

Surface Forms

springing cow singular
springing cows plural

Morphology

spring + cow

The phrase uses 'springing' in a specialized agricultural sense meaning 'about to calve', which is not a straightforward extension of the common senses of 'spring' (to appear, jump, or the season) combined with 'cow'. This livestock-specific, lexicalized meaning is unpredictable for an average B1 learner who only knows the constituent words, so it is opaque.

Etymology

Springing cow comes from farm life: farmers planned for cows to have calves in spring, so a springing cow was a cow close to giving birth. That's why it means 'a cow about to give birth'.