Quick Definition
βοῦς, βοός, ὁ n.m. an ox
Strong's Definition
probably from the base of 1006; an ox (as grazing), i.e. an animal of that species ("beef")
KJV Usage: ox
UBS Dictionary of the Greek New Testament
noun, m./f. | βοός
4.15 · Animals · Animals
bull, ox, cow, cattle general word for individual cattle; may be male (bull or ox) or female (cow); plural: cattle In most contexts βοῦς (masc. gender) would seem to refer to an ox (in contrast with ταῦρος ‘bull,’ 4.16). In the plural form βοῦς may be translated simply as a collective ‘cattle.’
Though in a number of languages a very special distinction is made between ‘bulls’ and ‘oxen’ (or ‘steers’), no such marked difference occurs in NT usage, and there appears to be no need of introducing any artificial distinction in particular passages.
LUK 13:15 · LUK 14:5 · LUK 14:19 · JHN 2:14 · JHN 2:15 · 1CO 9:9 · 1CO 9:9 · 1TI 5:18
UBS Dictionary of the Greek New Testament © United Bible Societies, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Thayer's Greek Lexicon
βοῦς, Bods, ace. sing. βοῦν, [ace. plur. βόας, B. 14 (13)], 6, ἡ, an or, a cow: Lk. xiii. 15; xiv. 5,19; Jn. ii. 14 sq.; 1 Co. ix. 9; 1 Tim. v. 18. [From Hom. down.]
Mounce Concise Greek Dictionary
βοῦς bous 8x
an ox, a bull or cow, an animal of the ox kind, Lk. 13:15
Abbott-Smith Greek Lexicon
βοῦς, βοός, ὁ, ἡ,
[in LXX chiefly for בָּקָר;]
an ox, a cow: Lk 13:15 14:5, 19 Jo 2:14, 15 I Co 9:9 (LXX), I Ti 5:18.†
Moulton & Milligan — Vocabulary of the Greek NT
βοῦς. Except in/ace. pl., the inflexions are the same as in Attic, e.g. τὴν βοῦν P Par 58% (ii/B.c.) (= Witkowski*, p. 80),
Liddell-Scott-Jones — Greek-English Lexicon
βοῦς (bous) — ox. βοῦς, Doric dialect βῶς [Refs 3rd c.BC+], poetry also βοῦ [Refs 8th c.BC+] and Doric dialect, [Refs 3rd c.BC+], Ionic dialect and poetry also βόα [Refs 8th c.BC+], rarely contraction βοῦς [Refs 5th c.BC+], contraction βῶν [Refs 8th c.BC+], Epic dialect βόεσσι, βοσί [Refs 1st c.AD+]; Boeotian dialect βούεσσι [Refs 8th c.BC+], and Attic dialect, [NT+4th c.BC+]:—bullock, bull, ox, or cow, in plural cattle, commonly feminine: to mark the male [Refs 8th c.BC+] adds a word, β. ἄρσην [Refs 8th c.BC+]; as a measure of value, βοὸς ἄξιον [Refs] __b βοῦς ἄγριος buffalo, [Refs 4th c.BC+] __c βοῦς ἐν Συρίᾳ zebu, [Refs]; β. ἐν Παιονίᾳ, perhaps urus, [Refs] __d βοὸς ὄμμα, ={βούφθαλμος}, [Refs 1st c.BC+]
2. metaphorically of any dam or mother, μία β. Κρηθεῖ τε μάτηρ καὶ Σαλμωνεῖ [Refs 5th c.BC+]
II. ={βοείη} or βοέη (always feminine), ox-hide shield, νωμῆσαι βῶν [Refs 8th c.BC+]; βόας αὔας[Refs 5th c.BC+]
III. a fish, perhaps Notidanus griseus, [Refs 4th c.BC+]
III.2. a fish of the Nile, [Refs 1st c.BC+]
IV. ἔβδομος β. crescent loaf, [Refs]
V. seam, [Refs 2nd c.AD+]
VI. the constellation Taurus, [Refs 1st c.BC+]
VII. ={μάστιξ}, [Refs 5th c.AD+]
VIII. proverbial, β. ἐπὶ γλώσσης ἐπιβαίνων [Refs 6th c.BC+]; of people who keep silence from some weighty reason, τὸν βοῦν ἐπιτίθημι τῇ γλώττῃ [Refs 4th c.AD+] (wrongly explained by [Refs 2nd c.AD+]; β. ἐν αὐλίῳ, of a useless person, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; β. λύρας 'pearls before swine', [Refs 3rd c.BC+], Sanskrit gaús) accusative βῶν (Sanskrit gā´m) are old forms: stem βωϝ-βοϝ-, cf. Latin (Umbr.) bos, etc.)