rodeo
Americannoun
-
a public exhibition of cowboy skills, as bronco riding and calf roping.
-
a roundup of cattle.
-
Informal. any contest offering prizes in various events.
a bicycle rodeo for kids under twelve.
-
(initial capital letter, italics) a ballet (1942) choreographed by Agnes de Mille, with musical score by Aaron Copland.
verb (used without object)
noun
-
a display of the skills of cowboys, including bareback riding, steer wrangling, etc
-
the rounding up of cattle for branding, counting, inspection, etc
-
an enclosure for cattle that have been rounded up
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of rodeo
1825–35; < Spanish: cattle ring, derivative of rodear to go round, itself derivative of rueda wheel < Latin rota
Explanation
A rodeo is a type of entertainment that shows off cowboy skills, such as wrestling steers and roping cattle. In the western United States, a popular type of entertainment is an exhibition known as a rodeo. A rodeo is a place where cowboys demonstrate what they can do for a crowd. Many of these skills are dangerous, like wrestling a steer or riding a bull. Some skills involve lassos and other uses of rope, such as roping (tying up) a goat. These skills are for entertainment at a rodeo, but they're necessary on a cattle ranch.
Vocabulary lists containing rodeo
Cinco de Mayo: Words to Celebrate Mexico
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
10 Texas words
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
This Week in Words: Current Events Vocab for January 12–January 18, 2025
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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.
The SpaceX pre-IPO futures weren’t Trade.xyz’s first rodeo.
From MarketWatch • May 20, 2026
Musk himself is unlikely to be seriously wounded by the outcome: this is not his first rodeo in courtroom dramas, and he is after all the world's richest man.
From BBC • May 19, 2026
Empty-nesters and former rodeo competitors are selling the compound, which includes several barns and an indoor equestrian facility.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 28, 2026
It has seen this rodeo before: The smartphone revolution was one such cycle, and AI is another.
From Barron's • Mar. 6, 2026
On one wall of Roy’s bedroom was a poster from the Livingston rodeo that showed a cowboy riding a ferocious humpbacked bull.
From "Hoot" by Carl Hiaasen
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.
