Definition
Something which cannot be tampered with, or criticized, for fear of public outcry. A person, institution, belief system, etc. which, for no reason other than the demands of established social etiquette or popular opinion, should be accorded respect or reverence, and not touched, handled or examined too closely.
Origins
Originally American English (early 1900s), a reference to the elevated place of cows in Hinduism.
In Context
- "Many sacred cows were milked dry in an unbelievable series of outrageous events."
- "Irreverence is our only sacred cow."
- "In my opinion, in order to save serious amounts of money, a number of 'sacred cows' will need slaying."
- "And he [Nick Fuentes] can attack what was until recently one of the right’s last true sacred cows: Israel."
See Also
- holy cow
- third rail
- totem