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In the American West, a horseman skilled at handling cattle is called a cowboy. From ca.1820, cowboys were employed in small numbers on Texas ranches. After the Civil War, their numbers rapidly multiplied as cattle-raising evolved into a lucrative industry throughout the western territories. Cowboys rounded up and branded the cattle, kept watch over the herd, and drove those ready for market to railroad towns. As the agricultural frontier moved west, the open range was transformed into farms, and by 1890 cowboys had been forced to settle on ranches. The romance of their image lives on in American folklore and through movies and television.
Examples of cowboy in a Sentence
Erik Kain, Forbes, 17 Mar. 2025
Founded in 1846, Fort Benton lured cowboys and miners who arrived on horseback or by steamboat on the Missouri River.
—Jim Robbins, Travel + Leisure, 16 Mar. 2025
Patrick Saunders, The Denver Post, 26 Feb. 2025
Kayce wants to cowboy and be happy with his family.
—Angel Saunders, People.com, 14 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for cowboy
Cite this Entry
“Cowboy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cowboy. Accessed 19 Mar. 2025.
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