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

The Matisse works, which police valued at roughly $190,000, came from the artist’s famed 1947 “Jazz” print series and featured images of a clown and a cowboy, among other imagery.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 18, 2026

They have varied from obscure Latin texts to cowboy novels.

From BBC ● Aug. 15, 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

“Woo-weee!” cried Mr. Lemoncello, who, in a complete cowboy costume, was riding in a saddle strapped around the giant audio-animatronic Apatosaurus’s neck.

From "Mr. Lemoncello's Library Olympics" by Chris Grabenstein

"Our cowboys, and the cowboys in our audience, they believe in hard work, honesty, integrity, help your neighbour, some selflessness," he told the BBC.

From BBC ● Jul. 4, 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

There are still plenty of great American cowboys out there—you just have to get out and look for them.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 15, 2026

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

From Salon ● Apr. 6, 2026

“And those cowboys and Indians. What kind of place is that for a child to grow up in? Dodging bullets and arrows?”

From "In the Year of the Boar and Jackie Robinson" by Bette Bao Lord

Related Words

• bronco