rancho

American  

[ran-choh, rahn-, rahn-chaw] / ˈræn tʃoʊ, ˈrɑn-, ˈrɑn tʃɔ /

noun

plural

ranchos

1. a ranch.

2. a hut or collection of huts for herders, laborers, or travelers.

---

rancho British  

/ ˈrɑːntʃəʊ /

noun

1. a hut or group of huts for housing ranch workers

2. another word for ranch

---

Etymology

Origin of rancho

An Americanism first recorded in 1800–10; from Latin American Spanish: “small farm, camp” ( Spanish: “camp”), from Old Spanish rancharse “to lodge, be billeted,” from Middle French (se) ranger “to be arranged, be installed”; range

Example Sentences

Tongva, Chumash and Cahuilla workers in California formed the backbone of rancho agriculture.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 30, 2025

As the eldest of four brothers, raised by parents from a small rancho in Matamoros, Tamaulipas, she was embedded in a culture where machismo ran deep.

From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 30, 2025

So far, they’ve primarily performed at family parties, quinceañeras and as opening acts at informal rancho festivals.

From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 8, 2025

He’s offering a class called Water Gardening in Small Spaces at the rancho on Aug. 4, and expects to teach another this fall at his former place of employment, the Theodore Payne Foundation.

From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 25, 2024

Contigo la milpa es rancho y el atole champurrado.

From "The Book of Unknown Americans" by Cristina Henríquez