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The nomadic and colorful horsemen of the Argentine and Uruguayan plains, the gauchos remain folk heroes famed for hardiness and lawlessness. Gauchos flourished from the mid-18th to the mid-19th century. At first they rounded up the herds of horses and cattle that roamed freely on the vast grasslands east of the Andes. In the early 19th century, they fought first in the armies that defeated the Spanish colonial regime and then for the military dictators who jockeyed for power after independence. Argentine writers celebrated the gauchos, and gaucho literature is an important part of the Argentine cultural tradition.
Examples of gaucho in a Sentence
Bruce Y. Lee, Forbes, 13 Aug. 2023
In 1987, the leaders of both countries announced the creation of a common unit of account, called the gaucho, to measure trade between the nations.
—Daniel Carvalho, Fortune, 22 Jan. 2023
Visitors can embrace the solitude of life as a gaucho, a native horseman that personifies the frontier spirit.
—Janelle Davis, CNN, 9 July 2022
The rugged landscape reverberates throughout the local gaucho culture, which celebrates the cowboy way South American style.
—R.t. Watson, WSJ, 22 June 2022
On Thursday, Dudamel presented the full ballet score that follows the day in the life of a gaucho out to prove himself and win his love.
—Los Angeles Times, 7 May 2022
In Uruguay, where it is made with quince paste, it is called Martin Fierro, after a popular fictional gaucho.
—Bee Wilson, WSJ, 24 Mar. 2022
The sun finally rises, and TJ rides in on a horse dressed like a real gaucho to welcome the players to their final day.
—Sydney Bucksbaum, EW.com, 27 May 2021
Jara and his family have been puesteros (a type of gaucho) for generations.
—Dan Sadgrove, National Geographic, 6 Apr. 2020
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These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'gaucho.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
American Spanish
1824, in the meaning defined above
Dictionary Entries Near gaucho
Cite this Entry
“Gaucho.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/gaucho. Accessed 23 Sep. 2023.
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More from Merriam-Webster on gaucho
Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for gaucho
Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about gaucho
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