gaucho

noun

gau·​cho ˈgau̇-(ˌ)chō 

plural gauchos

: a cowboy of the South American pampas

Did you know?

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

Recent Examples on the Web

With its European architecture, rich textile history and cultural touchstones like the gaucho, there is plenty of inspiration for designers to pull from. —Brett F. Braley-Palko, Forbes.com, 31 Mar. 2025

This is a look from my 2002 graduation collection (above center), which was inspired by traditional gaucho clothing (above left). —Emilia Petrarca, New York Times, 28 Mar. 2025

With no more than 10 guests at a time, each can join the farming team for a night of local gaucho guitar music on the Gallie family's 27,000-hectare estate, with its 8,500 merino sheep and 400 Hereford and Aberdeen Angus cattle. —Christopher Elliott, Forbes, 29 Dec. 2024

Efficient waitstaff in traditional gaucho attire weave through the bustling scene, serving more than 1,000 diners daily. —Allie Lazar, Saveur, 11 Dec. 2024

Word History

Etymology

American Spanish

First Known Use

1824, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

gaucho

noun

gau·​cho ˈgau̇-chō 

plural gauchos

: a cowboy of the South American grass-covered plains