also: おそうじ
slow cow; slow ox
A rare or archaic term for a slow-moving cow or ox. May appear in classical or poetic contexts, or as a metaphorical expression for slowness. Not used in modern everyday speech.
The word 遅牛 can be found in old documents.
His pace is like that of a slow ox.
Standard kanji form. The reading おそうし is the primary reading.
Alternate reading おそうじ is less common and may be considered non-standard or dialectal.
Compound of 遅 (oso, 'slow') and 牛 (ushi, 'cow/ox'). The exact historical derivation is uncertain; it is a straightforward descriptive compound.