rustler

noun

rus·​tler ˈrə-s(ə-)lər How to pronounce rustler (audio)
plural rustlers
: a person who steals livestock from a farm or ranch
By the time Bijah had reached the age of twenty-three he was a known cattle rustler, and an outlaw with three killings behind him.Louis L'Amour
A gang of professional sheep rustlers has been stalking our county—and all the local farmers are worried that we're going to be hit next.James Delingpole

Examples of rustler in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Gone were the twisted souls of the Deep South, replaced with stoic ranch hands, rustlers and gunslingers whose lives and fates played out in the harsh midday sun. Steve Marble, Los Angeles Times, 13 June 2023 Hikers on the Hidden Valley trail, above, made their way along a one-mile loop that winds among massive boulders, through what is rumored to have been a cattle rustler’s hide-out. New York Times, 8 July 2021 The friendship between the lawman (played by Barry Sullivan) and the gun-toting rustler was fictionalized and greatly exaggerated over the show’s 75 episodes; many historians believe that Garrett actually shot and killed Billy in 1881. BostonGlobe.com, 7 Aug. 2022 The friendship between the lawman (played by Barry Sullivan) and the gun-toting rustler was fictionalized and greatly exaggerated over the show’s 75 episodes; many historians believe that Sheriff Garrett actually shot and killed Billy in 1881. New York Times, 7 Aug. 2022 The rustler is usually a beekeeper or someone familiar with the transportation of bees. Fox News, 22 Feb. 2022

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

Word History

First Known Use

1878, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of rustler was in 1878

Dictionary Entries Near rustler

Cite this Entry

“Rustler.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/rustler. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

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