vaquero
Americannoun
plural
vaquerosEtymology
Origin of vaquero
First recorded in 1790–1800; from Spanish, equivalent to vac(a) “cow” (from Latin vacca ) + -ero (from Latin -ārius ); -ary
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.
Bull-riding, still a staple on the U.S. rodeo circuit, originated in the vibrant vaquero tradition of charreadas — contests showcasing participants’ skills with horses, ropes and livestock.
From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 23, 2026
Nonetheless, the Mexican vaquero is largely erased from popular U.S. depictions of the cowboy.
From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 23, 2026
Women arrive adorned with black lace hairpieces and painted tears a la Virgencita, as men blend dark accents with their Chicano workwear and vaquero boots.
From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 28, 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
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.
