Dictionary

cowhand en · NOUN

Pronunciation

• /ˈkaʊˌhænd/
• [ˈkaʊˌheənd] æ-raising
• [ˈkaʊˌhɛənd] æ-raising
• [ˈkaʊˌhɛːnd] æ-raising

Etymology

From cow + hand, or perhaps blend of cowboy + farmhand.

Meanings

1. One who tends free-range cattle, especially in the American West.
   • I'm an old cowhand from the Rio Grande / but my legs ain't bowed and my cheeks ain't tan […] 1936, “I'm an Old Cowhand (from the Rio Grande)”, Mercer, Johnny (music):
   • Say, you ever run into a cowhand by the name of Woodsy Niles? 1969, Waldo Salt, Midnight Cowboy, spoken by Joe Buck (Jon Voight):
   • Though a first rate cow hand he very shortly proved himself to be wholly incapable of acting as head. 1886 April, Theodore Roosevelt, “Ranch Life and Game Shooting in the West”, in Outing, volume 8, number 1, page 3:
2. Cowman or herdsman, especially to a dairy cattle herd.

Forms

Synonyms

cowperson · cowpoke · cattleman