ranch

American  

[ranch] / ræntʃ /

noun

1. an establishment maintained for raising livestock under range conditions.

2. Chiefly Western U.S. and Canada. a large farm used primarily to raise one kind of crop or animal.

   a mink ranch.

3. a dude ranch.

4. the persons employed or living on a ranch.

5. ranch house.

6. ranch dressing.

   I’ll have the small salad, with ranch on the side.

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verb (used without object)

1. to manage or work on a ranch.

ranch British  

/ rɑːntʃ /

noun

1. a large tract of land, esp one in North America, together with the necessary personnel, buildings, and equipment, for rearing livestock, esp cattle

2. 1. any large farm for the rearing of a particular kind of livestock or crop

      a mink ranch

   2. the buildings, land, etc, connected with it

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verb

1. (intr) to manage or run a ranch

2. (tr) to raise (animals) on or as if on a ranch

Other Word Forms

• ranchless
  adjective
• ranchlike
  adjective
• unranched
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of ranch

An Americanism dating from 1800–10; from Spanish rancho “farm, cattle farm, ranch”; see origin at rancho

Explanation

A ranch is a large farm that raises animals, generally grazing animals like cows or sheep. If you dream of raising big, strange-looking birds, you could decide to have an emu or an ostrich ranch instead. Ranches raise animals for meat, and in the case of sheep or alpacas, for wool. When you work on a ranch, you can say that you ranch. A ranch is also a type of single-story, simple house architecturally influenced by the western, informal style of working ranches, which first appeared in the 1950s in the Western US. Ranch comes from the Spanish rancho, first "group of people who eat together" and later "group of farm huts."

Example Sentences

Big Ranch Dog Rescue and the Center for a Humane Economy reached a deal to rehome 1,500 Ridglan dogs.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 7, 2026

In the meantime, that same week, Big Ranch Dog Rescue and the Center for a Humane Economy reached a deal to rehome 1,500 Ridglan dogs for an undisclosed sum.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 7, 2026

In 2020, Neverland Ranch was purchased by billionaire real estate investor Ron Burkle for $22 million—it was previously listed for the much higher price of $100 million in May 2015.

From MarketWatch • May 5, 2026

Brown, a first-year head coach at West Ranch, has his team at 8-3, which is tied for first place with Castaic going into Friday’s regular-season finale against Hart at West Ranch.

From Los Angeles Times • May 1, 2026

We see each other in passing on the Ranch, and some entire days go by where I don’t see her beyond mealtimes in the caf.

From "The Wrong Way Home" by Kate O’Shaughnessy

Related Words

• dairy farm
• estate
• homestead
• land
• plantation