One of a breed of large, heavy domestic cattle having short horns. The breed was developed in England.

English breed of short-horned cattle

The Shorthorn breed of cattle originated in the North East of England in the late 18th century. The breed was developed as dual purpose, suitable for both dairy and beef production; however there were always certain blood lines within the breed which emphasised one quality or the other. Over time these different lines diverged and by the second half of the 20th century two separate breeds had developed - the Beef Shorthorn, and the Dairy Shorthorn.