cowboy

1 of 2

noun

cow·​boy ˈkau̇-ˌbȯi 

1

: one who tends cattle or horses

especially : a usually mounted cattle-ranch hand

2

: a rodeo performer

3

: one having qualities (such as recklessness, aggressiveness, or independence) popularly associated with cowboys: such as

a

: a reckless driver

b

: a business or businessperson operating in an uncontrolled or unregulated manner

cowboy

2 of 2

verb

cowboyed; cowboying; cowboys

intransitive verb

: to work as a cowboy

cowboyed in Texas and Oklahoma

Did you know?

In the American West, a horseman skilled at handling cattle is called a cowboy. From ca.1820, cowboys were employed in small numbers on Texas ranches. After the Civil War, their numbers rapidly multiplied as cattle-raising evolved into a lucrative industry throughout the western territories. Cowboys rounded up and branded the cattle, kept watch over the herd, and drove those ready for market to railroad towns. As the agricultural frontier moved west, the open range was transformed into farms, and by 1890 cowboys had been forced to settle on ranches. The romance of their image lives on in American folklore and through movies and television.

Synonyms

Noun

• cowpoke
• cowhand
• cowpuncher
• buckaroo
• cowman
• rancher
• horseman

Examples of cowboy in a Sentence

Noun

a movie about cowboys in the old West

He worked for several years as a cowboy on a ranch in Texas.

We've got a bunch of risk-taking cowboys running this project.

Verb

He cowboyed in Texas and Oklahoma.

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Examples include Roan’s retro Grammy Awards performance atop a giant pink pony and surrounded by clown cowboys, and arriving on stage at the 2024 Governors Ball by bursting out of a smoking bong apple and emerging in full body paint as the Statue of Liberty. —Etan Vlessing, HollywoodReporter, 11 July 2025

But when a cowboy who looks suspiciously like Justin Theroux with facial prosthetics starts moving toward them, Charlie and Alex make a run for it. —Louis Peitzman, Vulture, 10 July 2025

Verb

Right-handed reliever Zach Agnos is ready to cowboy up. —Patrick Saunders, The Denver Post, 26 Feb. 2025

Kayce wants to cowboy and be happy with his family. —Angel Saunders, People.com, 14 Dec. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1623, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1925, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing cowboy

• cowboy boot
• cowboy hat
• drugstore cowboy

Rhymes for cowboy

• ahoy
• alloy
• annoy
• carboy
• convoy
• decoy
• deploy
• destroy
• employ
• employe
• enjoy
• kilroy

Kids Definition

cowboy

noun

cow·​boy

-ˌbȯi

: one who tends cattle or horses

especially : a mounted cattle-ranch worker