Definition of: "sacred cow" with explanation and origin
Definition of: sacred cow with explanation and origin? Meaning of sacred cow with examples in English idiom dictionary.
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Definition of: "sacred cow" with explanation and origin
sacred cow
sacred cow
Meaning
- something that people believe or accept as true without questioning it.
- being unreasonably immune from criticism or opposition.
- an institution, idea, or custom that is held to be above criticism.
- something that people do not like to question.
- a taboo subject.
- something that many people think is too important to change, question, or criticize.
- something that cannot be interfered with or harmed in any way.
Examples in Sentences
- The journalist esteemed too many sacred cows.
- The old governmgent program has become a sacred cow.
- Christianity is a sacred cow among many people.
- The priest was considered a sacred cow among his congregants.
- They couldn’t dare oppose the sacred cow of legislative democracy.
- Prince Harry advised the people not to make a sacred cow of the monarchy.
- The new head teacher said the school would have numerous changes as nothing is a sacred cow.
- The judiciary remains a sacred cow, despite growing evidence that fatal mistakes have been made.
Origin
The phrase derives from the Hindu belief that cows are sacred animals that should not be harmed. The reverence for cows in the traditionally Hindu community stems from the reluctance to harm an animal whose milk humans consume after being weaned off the mother’s milk. In Jewish tradition, there is a similar moral stigma against cooking veal (calf meat) in cow’s milk. A literal sacred cow or sacred bull is an actual cow or bull that is treated with sincere respect.
Its earliest use in America was in the 1800s. Although the idiom is believed to originate in American English, it has identical expressions in other languages. The phrase is used to describe something or someone who is impervious to criticism, reproach, or questioning, especially when it is unreasonable.
The Origins of sacred cow
American, Animal, Controversy, ReligionEnglish
Related Dictionary
- English Definition & Meaning Dictionary
- English Idioms and phrases Dictionary
- Dictionnaire Français
- Dictionnaire d'expressions idiomatiques et de phrases en français
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English Idioms and phrases
An idiom is a common word or phrase with a figurative, non-literal meaning that is understood culturally and differs from what its composite words' denotations would suggest; i.e. the words together have a meaning that is different from the dictionary definitions of the individual words (although some idioms do retain their literal meanings – see the example "kick the bucket" below). By another definition, an idiom is a speech form or an expression of a given language that is peculiar to itself grammatically or cannot be understood from the individual meanings of its elements.[3] For example, an English speaker would understand the phrase "kick the bucket" to mean "to die" – and also to actually kick a bucket. Furthermore, they would understand when each meaning is being used in context.
To evoke the desired effect in the listener, idioms require a precise replication of the phrase: not even articles can be used interchangeably (e.g. "kick a bucket" only retains the literal meaning of the phrase but not the idiomatic meaning).
Idioms should not be confused with other figures of speech such as metaphors, which evoke an image by use of implicit comparisons (e.g., "the man of steel"); similes, which evoke an image by use of explicit comparisons (e.g., "faster than a speeding bullet"); or hyperbole, which exaggerates an image beyond truthfulness (e.g., "more powerful than a locomotive"). Idioms are also not to be confused with proverbs, which are simple sayings that express a truth based on common sense or practical experience.
