Livestock

Livestock

Noun (uncountable) · /ˈlaɪv.stɒk/

Definition

Farm animals — such as cattle, sheep, pigs, goats, horses, and poultry — kept for use or profit, particularly for food, fibre, or labour.

Origin

From live (Old English libban — alive, living) + stock (Old English stocc — trunk, post, supply; the sense of animals as an economic resource or stock of property). The compound livestock in the sense of live farm animals as a stock of productive property appears in English from the 18th century, distinguishing living animal stock from other farm assets.