cowboy

/ˌkaʊˈbɔɪ/

/ˈkaʊbɔɪ/

Other forms: cowboys

A cowboy is a ranch worker whose job is to herd or tend cattle while riding a horse. If you visit a ranch, you may get to watch cowboys doing tricks with lassos.

Cowboys work hard caring for herds of cattle, and they are experts at doing their jobs on horseback. Many cowboys also perform in rodeos, either for money or just for fun. A cowboy is traditionally male, and while there are women who do the same work on ranches, they're typically called cowgirls. The word cowboy dates from the early 1800s in the Western United States — sometimes these ranch workers were called cowhands or cowpokes.

Definitions of cowboy

1. noun

   a hired hand who tends cattle and performs other duties on horseback
   synonyms: cattleman, cowhand, cowherd, cowman, cowpoke, cowpuncher, puncher

   types:

   buckaroo, buckeroo, vaquero

   local names for a cowboy ('vaquero' is used especially in southwestern and central Texas and 'buckaroo' is used especially in California)

   cowgirl

   a woman cowboy

   gaucho

   a cowboy of the South American pampas

   horse wrangler, wrangler

   a cowboy who takes care of the saddle horses

   roper

   a cowboy who uses a lasso to rope cattle or horses

   type of:

   ranch hand

   a hired hand on a ranch
2. noun

   a performer who gives exhibitions of riding and roping and bulldogging
   synonyms: rodeo rider

   type of:

   performer, performing artist

   an entertainer who performs a dramatic or musical work for an audience
3. noun

   someone who is reckless or irresponsible (especially in driving vehicles)
   type of:

   adventurer, venturer

   a person who enjoys taking risks