Thread: Singular or Plural

Is 'livestock' singular or plural?

I think it's both...

Do you have a livestock?

Yup, sheeps and meeces.

Generally, it's plural, as you would never call a single animal "livestock".

Sam, I would have thought the same thing, but...

See this link:

http://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Livestock

And here, read the second definition: http://www.thefreedictionary.com/livestock

The word may be treated as singular or plural, as those links show, but it generally infers the presence of more than one animal.

Oxford gives the relevant definition of 'stock' as (4)a. 'farm animals', plural. (9th Concise p1370)

But for purposes of conjegation? "...so impoverished his livestock consit(s) in a single brutish ox, so old he refuses the harness, by lying stubbornly on a Posture-pedic stuffed with Yankee currency." I think as a subject it requires a singular verb. Doesn't it indicate a single catagory, numerically indeterminate? As pair or couple are singular expressions of a deternimate and plural set?

Originally Posted by Sam W

The word may be treated as singular or plural, as those links show, but it generally infers the presence of more than one animal.

You're right, I think despite the fact that it may technically be implemented in a singular form it would be both awkward and probably incorrect in most instances, so it would be best to generally treat it as plural like you said.

English has a lovely third class of nouns called "mass nouns" of which "livestock" is a member. They generally involve more than one object being refered to. They tend to take singular verbs.

"Water is blue."
"Livestock is expensive."

Plural.

Although the answer to the question "Do you have livestock?" may be "Yes, I have a cow", the word itself is only used by ranchers hereabouts to describe multiple animals. And since the truest form of the English language is spoken here where I live, you may rely upon my anecdotal evidence completely and conclusively.

Originally Posted by alanmt

Plural.

Although the answer to the question "Do you have livestock?" may be "Yes, I have a cow", the word itself is only used by ranchers hereabouts to describe multiple animals. And since the truest form of the English language is spoken here where I live, you may rely upon my anecdotal evidence completely and conclusively.

So you would say livestock are an important component of agriculture in Montana? Maybe. But I'm inclined to say the livestock my Ma owns is important in her longevity.

"Livestock is an important component of agriculture in Montana."

@ppsage: It refers to multiple objects (in this case animals), but if you look in the dictionary is says that it can use a singular or plural verb.

I've been farming for over twenty years and I've never heard anyone refer to one animal as "livestock". That's why I said it's generally treated as a plural.