vaquero
Americannoun
Other Word 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.
“The vaquero had to reinvent techniques and strategies in a completely new context,” said Héctor Medina Miranda, a Mexican anthropologist and author.
From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 23, 2026
Marciel Perez, who owns Mr. Hammer Shoes, has been selling huaraches and vaquero fashion at Plaza Mexico for over 30 years.
From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 7, 2025
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
It was Renteria who converted him into a vaquero.
From Los Angeles Times • May 22, 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
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.
