corral

1 of 2

noun

cor·​ral kə-ˈral How to pronounce corral (audio)
-ˈrel
1
: a pen or enclosure for confining or capturing livestock
herded the cattle into the corral
2
: an enclosure made with wagons for defense of an encampment

corral

2 of 2

verb

corralled; corralling

transitive verb

1
: to enclose in a corral (see corral entry 1 sense 1)
corralled the horses
2
: to arrange (wagons) so as to form a corral (see corral entry 1 sense 2)
3
: collect, gather
corralling votes for the upcoming election

Examples of corral in a Sentence

Noun the horses live in our corral, along with a cow Verb corralled everyone in the conference room for a speech by the CEO corralled a scattering of stray pens and quickly stuffed them in the drawer to tidy the desk
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
Agents from elsewhere in the courthouse ran into the courtroom to help four U.S. Marshals and FBI staff corral GossJankowski, who has a hearing disability. Scott MacFarlane, CBS News, 30 Oct. 2023 In one case, a 17-year-old boy from Mexico was crushed to death while herding cows into an indoor corral on just his 10th day of work. Maryam Jameel, ProPublica, 25 Oct. 2023 Runners must behave appropriately in the corrals Runners must uphold good sportsmanlike behavior in the corrals. Skyler Caruso, Peoplemag, 3 Nov. 2023 Another reason city officials gave for optimism is a doubling in recent months in scooter corrals, which are the only places where scooters can be parked under the new rules. David Garrick, San Diego Union-Tribune, 16 Sep. 2023 Horse advocates argued the deaths were unnecessary, resulting from inhumane tactics being used to expedite removals from public lands where pregnant mares and young foals were being chased in summer heat across rocky high desert into makeshift corrals. Scott Sonner, USA TODAY, 11 Aug. 2023 Horse advocates said the deaths were unnecessary, resulting from inhumane tactics being used to expedite removals from public lands where pregnant mares and young foals are being chased in summer heat across rocky, high-desert into makeshift corrals. The Salt Lake Tribune, 9 Aug. 2023 In the late 1860s, a man named Robert Daley moved to the area, and in the following years built a ranch, complete with barns, corrals and a house that still stands today. Maura Fox, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 Oct. 2023 The Fort Worth Stockyards National Historic District, where ranchers once traded cattle and cowboys drove the animals to market, is still in action with a daily longhorn cattle drive, restaurants, rodeo shows, bars, and tours of the original wooden corrals. Patricia Doherty, Travel + Leisure, 5 Oct. 2023
Verb
Keep the firebricks in place by corralling them behind a strip of molding, attached where the hearth extension meets the flooring in the room. Jeanne Huber, Washington Post, 17 Nov. 2023 The Pastel Hues Outfit Don’t keep springy pastels corralled into the first few months of the year. Aemilia Madden, Harper's BAZAAR, 29 Aug. 2023 But the supply of boomer rock legends is dwindling, so instead, there’s Power Trip, a metal-centric incarnation that will corral Metallica, Guns N’ Roses, AC/DC, Judas Priest (replacing an ailing Ozzy Osbourne), Iron Maiden and Tool over one fall weekend. August Brown, Los Angeles Times, 29 Aug. 2023 All the previously competing interests were corralled into the Southern Nevada Water Authority, or SNWA, a singular utility that could both manage the region’s existing resources and seek to supplement them. Kyle Paoletta, The New Republic, 30 Oct. 2023 This time, the zebra was from the main herd corralled at his sprawling farm. Katie Mettler, Washington Post, 25 Oct. 2023 Explore See latest videos, charts and news This week, Bad Bunny returns sooner than expected, Offset corrals his famous friends and Ice Spice links up with Rema for a new hit. Jason Lipshutz, Billboard, 13 Oct. 2023 At day’s end, the animals are corralled, and a table is set with simple but plentiful dishes: cheese, yogurt, vegetables, and often meat. Avedis Hadjian, The Christian Science Monitor, 12 Oct. 2023 Pelosi, who will be remembered as one of the most powerful and influential speakers in history, also worked with narrow margins and faced her own challenge corralling fractious members. Mark Z. Barabak, Los Angeles Times, 3 Oct. 2023 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'corral.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun and Verb

Spanish, from Vulgar Latin *currale enclosure for vehicles, from Latin currus cart, from currere to run — more at car

First Known Use

Noun

1582, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1847, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of corral was in 1582

Dictionary Entries Near corral

Cite this Entry

“Corral.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/corral. Accessed 28 Nov. 2023.

Kids Definition

corral

1 of 2 noun
cor·​ral kə-ˈral How to pronounce corral (audio)
1
: a pen for keeping or capturing livestock
2
: an enclosure made with wagons for defense of a camp

corral

2 of 2 verb
corralled; corralling
1
: to keep in or as if in a corral
2
3
: to arrange wagons so as to form a corral

More from Merriam-Webster on corral

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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