gaucho

noun

gau·​cho ˈgau̇-(ˌ)chō How to pronounce gaucho (audio)
plural gauchos
: a cowboy of the South American pampas

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The nomadic and colorful horsemen of the Argentine and Uruguayan plains, the gauchos remain folk heroes famed for hardiness and lawlessness. Gauchos flourished from the mid-18th to the mid-19th century. At first they rounded up the herds of horses and cattle that roamed freely on the vast grasslands east of the Andes. In the early 19th century, they fought first in the armies that defeated the Spanish colonial regime and then for the military dictators who jockeyed for power after independence. Argentine writers celebrated the gauchos, and gaucho literature is an important part of the Argentine cultural tradition.

Examples of gaucho in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Anthropological excavation isn’t the objective here; Dweck and Kershaw are more than happy to buy into the community’s self-mythologizing, to absorb the hand-me-down stories and macho iconography that keep the romance of the gaucho alive. Guy Lodge, Variety, 1 Feb. 2024 Fortunately, Jonathan ‘Yoni’ Zapata, an accomplished gaucho, comes to my rescue. Sarah Marshall, National Geographic, 23 Jan. 2024 Four more gaucho ranches to stay at Words by Shafik Meghji Argentina’s estancias — its famed cattle and sheep ranches — have been central to the country’s economy, culture, cuisine and national identity for centuries. Sarah Marshall, Travel, 23 Jan. 2024 Vince spread collar cardigan Coach Emilia Mary Jane flats Citizens of Humanity gaucho high waist jeans Prada runway 49mm rectangular sunglasses Ssense The famous Ssense sale continues on from Black Friday, with discounts up to 60% post-Christmas. Alexis Bennett Parker, Vogue, 26 Dec. 2023 Sitz isn’t just a gaucho because of his lineage, or because his knowledge of cattle was passed down through generations of cowboys. Diana Spechler, Robb Report, 3 Dec. 2023 Gonzalez grew up with gaucho culture and churrasco. Tim Carman, Washington Post, 19 Sep. 2023 The last show Steely Dan played was September 20 and all October dates won’t feature the gaucho amigos. Devon Ivie, Vulture, 11 Oct. 2023 Rio Grande do Sul is where the hardscrabble gaucho traditions of previous centuries have been transformed and elevated into an identity. Tim Carman, Washington Post, 19 Sep. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'gaucho.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

American Spanish

First Known Use

1824, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of gaucho was in 1824

Dictionary Entries Near gaucho

Cite this Entry

“Gaucho.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/gaucho. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

gaucho

noun
gau·​cho ˈgau̇-chō How to pronounce gaucho (audio)
plural gauchos
: a cowboy of the South American grass-covered plains

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