cowboy

American  

[kou-boi] / ˈkaʊˌbɔɪ /

noun

• cowboys
  plural

1. a man who herds and tends cattle on a ranch, especially in the western U.S., and who traditionally goes about most of his work on horseback.

2. a man who exhibits the skills attributed to such cowboys, especially in rodeos.

3. Chiefly Northeastern U.S. a reckless or speedy automobile driver.

4. Informal. a reckless or irresponsible person, especially a show-off or one who undertakes a dangerous or sensitive task heedlessly.

   They put foreign policy in the hands of cowboys.

5. (during the American Revolution) a member of a pro-British guerrilla band that operated between the American and British lines near New York City.

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verb (used without object)

1. to work as a cowboy.

cowboy British  

/ ˈkaʊˌbɔɪ /

noun

1. Also called: cowhand.  a hired man who herds and tends cattle, usually on horseback, esp in the western US

2. a conventional character of Wild West folklore, films, etc, esp one involved in fighting Indians

3. informal

   1. a person who is an irresponsible or unscrupulous operator in business

   2. ( as modifier )

      cowboy contractors

      cowboy shop steward

4. a man or boy who tends cattle

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• cowgirl
  noun

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• cowboys
  plural

Etymology

Origin of cowboy

First recorded in 1715–25; cow ¹ + boy

Explanation

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.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

cowboy cowboys

“You can come to Vegas and do whatever you want,” said general manager Ryan Growney, wearing a black cowboy hat.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 24, 2026

“We need more cowboy hats and belt buckles in Washington,” he wrote in a campaign post on July 15.

From Slate ● Jul. 23, 2026

“I want just a cowboy hat,” Haaland said at the time, as seen in a video posted on his YouTube channel.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 14, 2026

The club mainly focuses on different aspects of the romance genre – this month's pick is a cowboy romance, although she is open to other types of books such as thrillers.

From BBC ● Jul. 12, 2026

Although Roosevelt was accepted as a friend, fellow cowboy, and, ultimately, the sheriffs deputy, he never completely severed his ties to New York or politics.

From "Death on the River of Doubt" by Samantha Seiple

A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said: "We are taking action to crack down on cosmetic cowboys and root out dangerous practices."

From BBC ● Jul. 22, 2026

With their flamboyant costumes and choreography, the group became a pop culture phenomenon, targeting disco's large gay audience with camp fantasy characters of butch builders, bikers, cowboys and soldiers.

From Barron's ● Jul. 1, 2026

Saavedra briefly entertained the name “Charro,” a reference to Mexican cowboys, before landing on Tapatío, a nickname used for people born in Guadalajara, Jalisco, where all three of his children were born.

From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 12, 2026

At the time, however, the frontier – with its rugged cowboys, miners and railroad men – defined American manhood.

From Salon ● Apr. 6, 2026

He’d had a few scuffles before in high school, glorified shoving matches between his group, the jocks, and the cowboys.

From "A Deadly Wandering: A Mystery, a Landmark Investigation, and the Astonishing Science of Attention in the Digital Age" by Matt Richtel

Related Words

• bronco