bronco

American  

[brong-koh] / ˈbrɒŋ koʊ /

Also bronc sometimes broncho

noun

plural

broncos

1. a range pony or mustang of the western U.S., especially one that is not broken or is imperfectly broken.

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bronco British  

/ ˈbrɒŋkəʊ /

noun

1. (in the US and Canada) a wild or partially tamed pony or mustang of the western plains

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Etymology

Origin of bronco

An Americanism first recorded in 1865–70; from Mexican Spanish, short for Spanish potro bronco “untamed colt” (in Mexican Spanish: “wild horse, half-tamed horse”); bronco, was apparently a nasalized variant of the Latin adjective broccus “projecting”; broach

Example Sentences

“She’s doing a very intense, subtle performance while she’s being slammed around on this bucking bronco with wind machines and a robotic camera,” Taylor said.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 4, 2025

I’m watching the game riding a a bucking bronco, it felt like.”

From Seattle Times • Dec. 2, 2021

Here, the concert was partially a pretense for a more well-rounded night out — arcade games, BBQ, pool tables, posing for pictures on a bucking bronco statue.

From New York Times • Aug. 8, 2021

After a period of tumultuous rule, most people don't want to jump from a bucking bronco onto another wild horse.

From Salon • Nov. 23, 2020

She leaps from her perch, deploys a tiny parachute, and executes a soft landing—straddling the thrumming ray gun as if it was a bucking bronco.

From "Dog Squad" by Chris Grabenstein

Related Words

• colt
• filly
• mare
• stallion