Beef cattle are bovine cattle (cows, see Bos taurus) raise for meat production (as distinguished from dairy cattle). The meat of cattle is known as beef. While the principal use of beef cattle is meat production, other uses include leather, and products used in shampoo and cosmetics. The plural beeves, when referring to such meat-animals (of either sex), is well known in the American cattle industry, but is often restricted to steers.