bell cow
noun
a cow, especially the lead cow of a herd, having a bell attached to a collar around its neck so that the herd can be located easily.
Origin of bell cow
An Americanism dating back to 1855–60
Words nearby bell cow
bell book,
bell bronze,
bell buoy,
bell burnell,
bell captain,
bell cow,
bell crank,
bell curve,
bell frog,
bell gardens,
bell heather
Example sentences from the Web for bell cow
“Good-day, cow at the manger,” said the cat to the bell-cow.
The Norwegian Fairy Book |Clara StroebeBut the evening was come, and the bell-cow, home from her browsing, was ringing for admittance at the barn-yard gate.
An Arkansas Planter |Opie Percival ReadThe Deacon jingled it as he passed.223 "Goes with the bell-cow," he said, and nothing further was said of it.
Other Main-Travelled Roads |Hamlin Garland