rancher

rancher — noun

1. a person whose job involves raising cattle, horses, or sheep on a large farm in

1.nounB1
Definition

a person whose job involves raising cattle, horses, or sheep on a large farm in a rural area; or someone who owns that type of farm

Example

Diego has worked as a rancher in Texas for thirty years, managing five hundred cattle.

countable noun: a rancher

The Okafor family now work as ranchers raising goats and sheep for wool.

plural: ranchers; work as ranchers

Common collocations
  • work as a rancher
  • become a rancher
  • cattle rancher
  • sheep rancher
  • third-generation rancher
Synonyms
  • cattleman

    more specific — refers strictly to someone who raises cattle, not other livestock; less common in modern use

  • stockman

    used mainly in Australia and New Zealand for someone who looks after livestock on a large farm

Usage Note

Frequently used with a preceding noun that names the type of animal raised (e.g. cattle rancher, sheep rancher).

Common Mistakes

He is a farmer who works on a large piece of land' (too vague — the specific activity of raising livestock is missing).
He is a rancher who raises cattle on a large farm in the countryside.
a rancher's work specifically centres on livestock, not crops.

Word family

Common collocations

Phrases

  • work as a rancher
  • become a rancher
  • raise livestock as a rancher