Here is a brief explanation of how to use the word ox and the plural form of ox. Let’s go over the meaning of this word of the day, its plural form, the history and origin of the word, synonyms, and examples of the word used in a sentence. Next time you go to use the word ox you will be an expert.
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The correct plural of ox is oxen. The word ox comes from Old English oxa and so the plural form follows the rules from Old English words. If you look at the grammar of Old English you will notice many nouns add the en-form in order to become plural.
Interestingly enough the plural of eye was eyen and the plural of hose was hosen. There are not many plural words that still keep the en plural but oxen has survived into the modern English language as a relic of what was once common.
Since the word ox was used back in the 12th century we can see why it has had the now-irregular plural ending. This was the common way of making plural nouns in England, especially in the southern part of the country all the way till the 16th century. Northern England started switching their plurals to end in s by the 14th century.
The History and Origin of the Word
The word ox can be traced back to at least the 12th century. The root language for the word ox is Middle English. The Middle English oxe spelling was similar to that in other Germanic languages like Old High German ohso ox, German ochse, Proto-Indo-European uksen, and cognate with Sanskrit ukṣā bull and Welsh ych.
Synonyms of the Word Ox from a Thesaurus
Burly – strongly and heavily built
Hulking – ponderous, massive
Sturdy – firmly built or constituted, sound in design or execution, marked by or reflecting physical strength or vigor
Hulk – a heavy clumsy ship, one that is bulky or unwieldy
Brawny – muscular, being swollen and hard
Hefty – quite heavy, marked by bigness, bulk, and usually strength, powerful, mighty, impressively large
Hunk – a large lump, piece, or portion, an attractive and usually well-built man
Husky – hoarse with or as if with emotion, a heavy-coated working dog of the New World arctic region, burly, robust, large
Powerful – having great power, prestige, or influence, leading to many or important deductions
Powerhouse – a source of influence or inspiration, one having great power
Robust – having or exhibiting strength or vigorous health, having or showing vigor, strength, or firmness, strongly formed or constructed, capable of performing without failure under a wide range of conditions
Stalwart – marked by outstanding strength and vigor of body, mind, or spirt
Stout – strong of character, brave, bold, firm, determined, physically or materially strong
Tall – high in stature, of a specified height, long from bottom to top, of a higher growing variety or species of plant, large or formidable in amount, extent, or degree
Vigorous – done with vigor, carried out forcefully and energetically
Well-built – built to be strong or to work well, physically strong
There, ox-eye daisies flourish from portentous box tombs, and the stone is softened by gold lichen; once-grieving cherubs wink from garlands of ivy, and extravagant calligraphy is worn to flourishes and flowers. — 1843, “Can words do the dead justice?,” 21 May 2020
Dishes like fatty ox tartare topped with white truffle shavings and wisps of blue cheese, slow-roasted suckling pig dotted with creme fraiche, and aromatic black rice infused with squid brought the bold flavors of Spain into sharp focus. — Washington Post, “A sip-to-sip tour of the ‘Sonoma of Spain’,” 29 Nov. 2019
Now you are an expert on all things related to the word ox. Next time you need to write the word ox, you will be well prepared for everything you need to know what it is and how to do it efficiently.
Kevin Miller is a growth marketer with an extensive background in Search Engine Optimization, paid acquisition and email marketing. He is also an online editor and writer based out of Los Angeles, CA. He studied at Georgetown University, worked at Google and became infatuated with English Grammar and for years has been diving into the language, demystifying the do's and don'ts for all who share the same passion! He can be found online here.
Kevin
November 3, 2020
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