herder

noun

herd·​er ˈhər-dər 

: one that herds

specifically : a person who manages, breeds, or tends to livestock : herdsman sense 1

Synonyms

• cowboy
• herdsman
• shepherd

Examples of herder in a Sentence

the nomadic reindeer herders of Siberia live in reindeer-skin tents

Recent Examples on the Web

True progress isn’t measured by towering headquarters; it is seen in rural businesses flourishing, herders gaining access to credit, and digital tools reaching communities once beyond the financial system. —Munkhtuya Rentsenbat, Forbes.com, 9 Sep. 2025

The world’s largest underground, iron-ore mine has forced the village’s herders to lead their reindeer through a longer and harder migration route. —Jason Ma, Fortune, 7 Sep. 2025

Local people rely on lions to generate tourism income, and in return big cats feed on old cattle abandoned by local herders, wrote Yadvendradev Vikramsinh Jhala, the former dean of Wildlife Institute of India, in an academic paper published last year. —Aishwarya S. Iyer, CNN Money, 31 Aug. 2025

Originally bred as cattle herders in the Swiss Alps, these dogs are energetic and require plenty of mental and physical stimulation. —Liz O'Connell, MSNBC Newsweek, 29 Aug. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1635, in the meaning defined above

Biographical Definition

Herder

biographical name

Her·​der ˈher-dər 

Johann Gottfried von 1744–1803 German philosopher