Livestock
/ˈlaɪv.stɑːk/noun
Farm animals kept for use or profit, especially cattle, sheep, and pigs.
Did you know?The “stock” in livestock is the same old Germanic word behind the idea of stored wealth and a tree trunk, so the term frames animals as living property, not just creatures.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Germanic
PGmc
*staukaz / *stokkaz
“a tree trunk, log, or block; something cut and fixed”
Old English
OE
stocc
“a log, tree trunk, or post”
Middle English
ME
livestok
“living animals kept as property or for food”
16th Century
English
livestock
“domestic animals kept for use, trade, or food”
Modern English
English
livestock
“farm animals kept for use or profit”