A cow has four stomachs, the first and largest of which is called the paunch or rumen. The second stomach of a cow may be called the bonnet, king's-hood or reticulum. The third stomach is the omasum, psalterium, manyplies, bible, fardel or fardel-bag, and the fourth stomach is the abomasum, maw, read or rennet-bag.

Cattle can be identified by their nose-prints.

In Somerset in 1841, 737 cows were milked in order to make a 9ft-diameter cheese for Queen Victoria.

In Moscow circuses, cows have been trained to play football.

In Spain, experiments have shown that milk production can be improved by up to 60 per cent by fitting the cows with steel dentures. Elsewhere, however, research has also shown that, if you burst a paper bag near the ear of a Jersey cow, its milk flow will be interrupted for about 30 minutes.

In Paris in 1740, a cow was hanged in public following its conviction for sorcery.

In Switzerland in 1983, a Czechoslovakian was refused Swiss citizenship because his dislike of cowbells was taken as a sign that he had not assimilated successfully, despite having lived in the country for 14 years.

Under the Metropolitan Streets Act of 1867, cows may not be driven down a British roadway between 10am and 7pm unless there is prior approval from the Commissioner of Police.

To 'leep' means, according to the OED, to wash with cow-dung and water.

In 2008, a man from Pennsylvania who mailed a severed cow's head to his wife's lover was sentenced to probation and community service. The man's lawyer agreed that his client "did step over the line" but said that he now "understands that in a civilized society a person cannot send a severed cow's head to anybody."

According to a British study published in 2009, cows with names such as Daisy, Gertrude or Buttercup produce more milk than their sisters with no names.

A group of 12 or more cows is called a flink.