The Collaborative International Dictionary
Cattle \Cat"tle\ (k[a^]t"t'l), n. pl. [OE. calet, chatel, goods, property, OF. catel, chatel, LL. captale, capitale, goods, property, esp. cattle, fr. L. capitals relating to the head, chief; because in early ages beasts constituted the chief part of a man's property. See Capital, and cf. Chattel.] Quadrupeds of the Bovine family; sometimes, also, including all domestic quadrupeds, as sheep, goats, horses, mules, asses, and swine.
Belted cattle, Black cattle. See under Belted, Black.
Cattle guard, a trench under a railroad track and alongside a crossing (as of a public highway). It is intended to prevent cattle from getting upon the track.
cattle louse (Zo["o]l.), any species of louse infecting cattle. There are several species. The H[ae]matatopinus eurysternus and H[ae]matatopinus vituli are common species which suck blood; Trichodectes scalaris eats the hair.
Cattle plague, the rinderpest; called also Russian cattle plague.
Cattle range, or Cattle run, an open space through which
cattle may run or range. [U. S.]
--Bartlett.
Cattle show, an exhibition of domestic animals with prizes for the encouragement of stock breeding; -- usually accompanied with the exhibition of other agricultural and domestic products and of implements.
WordNet
n. a bridge over a ditch consisting of parallel metal bars that allow pedestrians and vehicles to pass, but not cattle [syn: cattle grid]
Usage examples of "cattle guard".
The speedometer on the Eldorado was approaching sixty when Burton topped the last hill before the cattle guard.
The son of a bitch can jump a barbwire fence and Ive seen him walk, just as nice as you please, across a cattle guard.
There was only a cattle guard made of parallel rows of pipes sunk into the road at a right angle.
The cattle guard offered no deterrent to vehicles beyond the startling noise caused by tires rattling and clattering over pipes.
A small flock of Chinese Whites cruised the blue pond, and after I rumbled over the cattle guard and parked near the house and turned the engine off, I heard their goose-alarm, like a chorus of baritone kazoos.
I bumped across the cattle guard at the entrance of the Pot O' Gold and wound through the mobile homes to the Nookim residence.
Estelle's down by the cattle guard, but she swore she wouldn't set foot any further until you got there.