vaquero
Americannoun
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of vaquero
First recorded in 1790–1800; from Spanish, equivalent to vac(a) “cow” (from Latin vacca ) + -ero (from Latin -ārius ); see -ary
Explanation
In Mexico and the American Southwest, a cowboy is known as a vaquero. The vaquero tradition dates back to the sixteenth century, when Spain colonized Mexico. The earliest vaqueros were native Mexicans who learned to herd cattle that belonged to Spanish colonizers. Over the centuries, the tradition spread from Mexico south to Argentina and as far north as British Columbia. Vaqueros were the original cowboys, inspiring the iconic North American horseback rancher and herder. The word vaquero derives from the Spanish vaca, or "cow."
Vocabulary lists containing vaquero
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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.
See Examples For:
Samuel Brown Vazquez, a vaquero and community organizer attending the meeting, said he remembered when City Council members first discussed the rodeo ban in 2023.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 9, 2026
One of the works is a Mexican vaquero.
From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 27, 2024
The equestrian tradition of Western cattle raising is derivative not of anything Anglos brought to conquered Indigenous land but of the northern Mexican vaquero tradition.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 21, 2024
She’s a healer and he’s a vaquero, but both are still healing from a vampire attack when they were teenagers.
From New York Times ● Jun. 9, 2023
My father had been a vaquero all his life, a calling as ancient as the coming of the Spaniard to Nuevo Méjico.
From "Bless Me, Ultima" by Rudolfo Anaya
The job of refining techniques of riding and roping — while modifying gear and apparel — largely fell to the resourceful vaqueros, from the Spanish word vaca for cow.
From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 23, 2026
West Hollywood doesn’t have the cultural outlet that Rodriguez and other queer vaqueros are looking for, and the straight paisa bars typically found in South L.A. or the Eastside are not welcoming, either.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 27, 2022
“I like to say hi to everybody because I’ve known them for a long time. Every Sunday, it’s the same people,” says Rodriguez as he embraces and chats with fellow vaqueros.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 27, 2022
He recalls spotting vaqueros lining up outside when he was a kid.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 27, 2022
Then the silence was shattered with the thunder of hoofbeats; vaqueros surrounded the small house with shouts and gunshots, and when they entered the room they were laughing and singing and drinking.
From "Bless Me, Ultima" by Rudolfo Anaya
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.
