Meanings
nounbulls and cows (uncountable)
- uncountableA codebreaking game in which each player attempts to deduce the other's secret number or word.
Synonyms: cows and bulls, pigs and bulls
Synonyms & antonyms
nounA codebreaking game in which each player attempts to deduce the other's secret number or word.
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Origin
A correct guess at a digit or letter is called a "bull" or a "cow", depending on whether the guessed location is also correct.
Full word history & related roots →Cite this entry
APA
bulls and cows. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/bulls%20and%20cows
MLA
“bulls and cows.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/bulls%20and%20cows. Accessed November 5, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “bulls and cows,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/bulls%20and%20cows.
Source: bulls and cows on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.