vaquero

[ vah-kair-oh; Spanish vah-ke-raw ]
See synonyms for vaquero on Thesaurus.com
noun,plural va·que·ros [vah-kair-ohz; Spanish vah-ke-raws]. /vɑˈkɛər oʊz; Spanish vɑˈkɛ rɔs/.
  1. Southwestern U.S. a cowboy or herdsman.

Origin of vaquero

1
First recorded in 1790–1800; from Spanish, equivalent to vac(a) “cow” (from Latin vacca ) + -ero (from Latin -ārius ); see -ary

Words Nearby vaquero

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use vaquero in a sentence

  • My dad was a vaquero, transporting cattle via horse and sleeping outside, occasionally for days at a time.

  • No horse is mine;––if I walk abroad for my own health a vaquero ever is after me that I ride back with no fatigue to myself!

    The Treasure Trail | Marah Ellis Ryan
  • One vaquero sent his rope flying through the air, and the loop settled over a big, hairy fore paw.

    Stories of California | Ella M. Sexton
  • Wilkes describes him as a dashing, gay "vaquero," half-Indian in his characteristics, but very useful to the new community.

  • Accordingly, the vaquero was directed to look after the mules while Frank and Joe went to work with pick, shovel, and pan.

    Digging for Gold | R.M. Ballantyne
  • Prodding his belly persistently, the vaquero followed him back, step by step.

    The Wolf Cub | Patrick Casey