1. Domestic animals generally; animals of any kind kept or dealt in for use or profit.
1777. Sheridan, Sch. Scand., III. iii. Nothing but live stock—and that’s only a few pointers and ponies.
1777. Robertson, Hist. Amer. (1783), III. 420. The number of its live-stock is more than treble.
1828. Miss Mitford, Village, Ser. III. 264. Trying the great market of Covent-garden for the sale of his live-stock.
1840. R. H. Dana, Bef. Mast, xxix. 105. Our live stock, consisting of four bullocks, a dozen sheep, a dozen or more pigs.
1863. Fawcett, Pol. Econ., II. v. (1876), 159. Farmers may also now insure their live-stock.
transf. 1775. Sheridan, Rivals, II. i. You talked of independence and a fortune, but not a word of a wife. Sir A. … Odds life, sir! if you have the estate, you must take it with the live stock on it, as it stands.
1894. W. Morris, in Mackail, Life (1899), II. 305. Our suffering the human live-stock of the country to live such a wretched scanty existence as they do.
attrib. 1856. Farmer’s Mag., Jan., 7. The Council have … agreed to the Live-Stock Prize-Sheet.
1894. Daily News, 4 July, 5/7. The live-stock trade.
2. Body vermin. dial. and slang.
1785. Grose, Dict. Vulg. Tongue, Live stock, lice, or fleas.
