# livestock

/ˈɫaɪvˌstɑk/ (US) · /lˈaɪvstɒk/ (UK) · CEFR B2 · Noun

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/livestock
Updated: 2026-05-02

## Definition

farm animals that are kept for use or profit, such as cows, sheep, and pigs. You use this word to talk about the animals as a group rather than naming each one.

For teachers: domesticated animals raised in an agricultural setting to produce commodities such as food, fiber, and labor. The term functions as a collective noun and typically refers to mammals.

## Examples

- The farmer feeds his livestock every morning at dawn.
- Heavy snow blocked the mountain passes, making it difficult for ranchers to provide enough hay for their livestock.
- The transition from nomadic herding to settled agriculture allowed for more systematic breeding of livestock, eventually leading to the distinct animal varieties we recognize today.

## Pitfalls

- Not "The farmer has many livestocks." but "The farmer has a lot of livestock." — Livestock is uncountable and cannot be pluralized with an 's'.

## Usage notes

- Uncountable collective noun; it does not have a plural form ('livestocks') and is treated as a singular or plural mass depending on regional dialect.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.