cowboy

American  

[kau-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

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Etymology

Origin of cowboy

First recorded in 1715–25; cow ¹ + boy

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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

"It's important not to mix politics with religion," said David de Santos from under his cowboy hat, after walking 50 kilometers in 24 hours to reach the shrine.

From Barron's ● Oct. 12, 2026

In rural Modoc County, in California’s remote northeast corner, Republican gubernatorial candidate Steve Hilton donned a beige cowboy hat and climbed atop a horse.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 12, 2026

Campbell, a Dallas native, doesn’t own a pair of dress shoes and has been known to wear cowboy boots to court.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 26, 2026

Noah used to tell me half-joking, “If you’re ever at Gelson’s, and you see someone who looks like Skeletor in a cowboy hat, that’s my dad.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 25, 2026

During his visits, reporters kept tabs on him, printing stories about his cowboy adventures in the newspaper, which kept him in the public eye.

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

"We will legislate for an independent regulation to rein these cowboys in," she said, announcing legislation for an independent watchdog of property agents.

From BBC ● Sep. 29, 2026

"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

Hollywood was founded by daredevils, from the cowboys who galloped here to become stuntmen, to the small-town girls who bucked the pressure to get married and moved west to chase a one-in-a-million dream.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 1, 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

Action shots flash across the screen: cowboys on horseback, pistols gleaming at their hips; quiet villages of tepees; violent war scenes; a kiss between a cowboy and a Native girl.

From "I Can Make This Promise" by Christine Day

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