cowpoke
Americannoun
Etymology
Origin of cowpoke
1880–85; cow 1 + poke 1 (probably formed after cowpuncher )
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
One theory is that the moniker emerged from a cowpoke misinterpretation of the Spanish word galón, for braided hat-bands.
From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 23, 2026
Spooner’s man, just north of town, was also a cowpoke, his hands extended, gripping nothing.
From New York Times ● Aug. 14, 2019
He showed them his pistols and his rope tricks from the time he was a cowpoke in the West.
From Washington Times ● Nov. 17, 2018
It’s handled with humor, as when a gunned-down cowpoke sprouts angel’s wings and warbles his way up to heaven.
From Seattle Times ● Nov. 13, 2018
“Get your cowpoke feet out of my shooting area!”
From "Worth" by A. LaFaye
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
