cowcatcher

American  

[kou-kach-er] / ˈkaʊˌkætʃ ər /

noun

1. a triangular frame at the front of a locomotive, especially a steam locomotive, designed for clearing the track of obstructions.

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cowcatcher British  

/ ˈkaʊˌkætʃə /

noun

1. a metal frame on the front of a locomotive to clear the track of animals or other obstructions

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Etymology

Origin of cowcatcher

An Americanism dating back to 1830–40; cow ¹ + catcher

Example Sentences

Maybe it’s the colorful psychedelic-painted steam locomotive, where balls that miss the tunnel underneath ricochet off the cowcatcher with a satisfying clang.

From Washington Post • Aug. 11, 2021

Put a cowcatcher on the front of that locomotive, because it is about to run into a whole lot of bull.

From Washington Times • Mar. 7, 2017

By the time he reached the window, the express, Washington-bound from St. Louis, had ground past with the rear half of the Williamsport school bus still clinging to the engine cowcatcher.

From Time Magazine Archive

Nothing subdues a reader more thoroughly than a cowcatcher of another author's prose or poetry, bolted to the front of a book or chapter.

From Time Magazine Archive

The locomotive was black, an ungainly contraption led by the triangular snout of the cowcatcher, though there would be few animals where this engine was headed.

From "The Underground Railroad: A Novel" by Colson Whitehead