black ox
Preserved but no longer current.
Meaning · English
The black ox has trod on his foot — i.e. misfortune has come to him. Black oxen were sacrificed to Pluto and other infernal deities.
Era: ca. 1898 (Victorian)
Sources & notes
Reproduced from Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898 edition, public domain; archive.org, retrieved 2026-07-31; OCR text, minor errors possible). Reflects the scholarship and attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “black ox” mean?
The black ox has trod on his foot — i.e. misfortune has come to him. Black oxen were sacrificed to Pluto and other infernal deities.
Is “black ox” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.