live stock
Preserved but no longer current.
Meaning · English
The cattle, sheep, pigs, horses, etc., belonging to a farmer; that part of his "stock in trade" which is alive. In slang use, lice or other parasitical vermin.
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 “live stock” mean?
The cattle, sheep, pigs, horses, etc., belonging to a farmer; that part of his "stock in trade" which is alive. In slang use, lice or other parasitical vermin.
Is “live stock” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.