plural cowboys
1
: a man who rides a horse and whose job is to take care of cows or horses especially in the western U.S.
a movie about cowboys in the old West
He worked for several years as a cowboy on a ranch in Texas.
2
: a man who performs in a rodeo
3
usually disapproving
: someone who has qualities that are commonly associated with the cowboys in movies
especially
: someone who does things that other people consider foolish and dangerous
political cowboys
We've got a bunch of risk-taking cowboys running this project.
—sometimes used before another noun cowboy diplomacy
cowboys; cowboyed; cowboying
US
: to work as a cowboy
He cowboyed in Texas and Oklahoma.
Cite this Entry
“Cowboy.” Merriam-Webster.com Simple Definition, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/simple/cowboy. Accessed 24 Jun. 2026.
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