1
: a large farm for raising horses, beef cattle, or sheep
2
: a farm or area devoted to a particular specialty
3
ranched; ranching; ranches
: to live or work on a ranch
Synonyms
Examples of ranch in a Sentence
Noun
lives on a cattle ranch in Texas that's as big as the whole state of Rhode Island
Verb
My grandfather started ranching here 150 years ago.
The family has ranched 10,000 acres here for the past 150 years.
The family has been ranching cattle here for 150 years.
Recent Examples on the Web
TIME, 12 Apr. 2024
The burger list includes a variety of options with bacon, pastrami, Swiss cheese and ranch toppings.
—Brianna Taylor, Sacramento Bee, 11 Apr. 2024
Home: This is a 3-bed, 1-bath, 1,100-square-foot ranch home in Fern Creek.
—Lennie Omalza, The Courier-Journal, 11 Apr. 2024
Frequently Asked Questions What's the best tequila for ranch water?
—Kaitlyn Yarborough, Southern Living, 9 Apr. 2024
The sun's corona is visible as the moon passes in front of the sun during a total solar eclipse at Big Summit Prairie ranch in Oregon's Ochoco National Forest near the city of Mitchell on Aug. 21, 2017.
—Aliza Chasan, CBS News, 8 Apr. 2024
The family resides on their private ranch in East Texas, where Clara Mae has had the opportunity to witness and learn from her dad’s hard work ethic up close.
—Emily Weaver, Peoplemag, 5 Apr. 2024
Strategies to deter wolves from livestock include tying streamers or blinking lights to fences to make the predators wary of crossing into ranches.
—Jesse Bedayn, Quartz, 3 Apr. 2024
Pizza Supreme Being sells 20-inch whole pizzas, including Hawaiian, pepperoni, vegan pepperoni and chicken bacon ranch.
—Hanh Truong, Sacramento Bee, 28 Mar. 2024
Emily Blackwood, Peoplemag, 2 Mar. 2024
This reality series follows a real-life ranching family in rural Missouri, much like the Duttons, who share an inside look at their business, McBee Farm and Cattle. as well as their personal affairs with audiences.
—Emily Blackwood, Peoplemag, 2 Mar. 2024
Ranchlands This Colorado agricultural business operates large-scale cattle and bison ranches in addition to hospitality stays focused on preserving the legacy of ranching in the American West.
—Krista Simmons, Sunset Magazine, 22 Feb. 2024
The initiative has caused turmoil in ranching communities that fear for their livestock.
—Elise Schmelzer, The Denver Post, 11 Jan. 2024
Peacock's upcoming reality series The McBee Family Dynasty: Real Life Cowboys is set to offer a behind-the-scenes look at rural Missouri's high-stakes world of farming and ranching through McBee Farm and Cattle.
—Dory Jackson, Peoplemag, 22 Feb. 2024
On the grassland north of Flagstaff, a ranching family, solar developers and state wildlife biologists have come together to try out solutions on the fly.
—Catrin Einhorn, New York Times, 11 Feb. 2024
Besides ranching, Smothers is a doting uncle to six nieces and nephews, welcoming his most recent nephew in January 2024.
—Rebecca Aizin, Peoplemag, 27 Jan. 2024
As governor, Burgum championed a Theodore Roosevelt presidential library in the state’s colorful Badlands where the 26th president hunted and ranched in the 1880s.
—Jack Dura, Twin Cities, 22 Jan. 2024
Noun
Historians estimate Black drovers, trainers, breeders, and herders—who were collectively referred to as cowboys—made up as much as a quarter of working ranch hands during the heyday of open-range ranching in the second half of the 19th century.
—TIME, 12 Apr. 2024
The burger list includes a variety of options with bacon, pastrami, Swiss cheese and ranch toppings.
—Brianna Taylor, Sacramento Bee, 11 Apr. 2024
Home: This is a 3-bed, 1-bath, 1,100-square-foot ranch home in Fern Creek.
—Lennie Omalza, The Courier-Journal, 11 Apr. 2024
Frequently Asked Questions What's the best tequila for ranch water?
—Kaitlyn Yarborough, Southern Living, 9 Apr. 2024
The sun's corona is visible as the moon passes in front of the sun during a total solar eclipse at Big Summit Prairie ranch in Oregon's Ochoco National Forest near the city of Mitchell on Aug. 21, 2017.
—Aliza Chasan, CBS News, 8 Apr. 2024
The family resides on their private ranch in East Texas, where Clara Mae has had the opportunity to witness and learn from her dad’s hard work ethic up close.
—Emily Weaver, Peoplemag, 5 Apr. 2024
Strategies to deter wolves from livestock include tying streamers or blinking lights to fences to make the predators wary of crossing into ranches.
—Jesse Bedayn, Quartz, 3 Apr. 2024
Pizza Supreme Being sells 20-inch whole pizzas, including Hawaiian, pepperoni, vegan pepperoni and chicken bacon ranch.
—Hanh Truong, Sacramento Bee, 28 Mar. 2024
Verb
Montana ranching family has garnered a dedicated fanbase and critical acclaim.
—Emily Blackwood, Peoplemag, 2 Mar. 2024
This reality series follows a real-life ranching family in rural Missouri, much like the Duttons, who share an inside look at their business, McBee Farm and Cattle. as well as their personal affairs with audiences.
—Emily Blackwood, Peoplemag, 2 Mar. 2024
Ranchlands This Colorado agricultural business operates large-scale cattle and bison ranches in addition to hospitality stays focused on preserving the legacy of ranching in the American West.
—Krista Simmons, Sunset Magazine, 22 Feb. 2024
The initiative has caused turmoil in ranching communities that fear for their livestock.
—Elise Schmelzer, The Denver Post, 11 Jan. 2024
Peacock's upcoming reality series The McBee Family Dynasty: Real Life Cowboys is set to offer a behind-the-scenes look at rural Missouri's high-stakes world of farming and ranching through McBee Farm and Cattle.
—Dory Jackson, Peoplemag, 22 Feb. 2024
On the grassland north of Flagstaff, a ranching family, solar developers and state wildlife biologists have come together to try out solutions on the fly.
—Catrin Einhorn, New York Times, 11 Feb. 2024
Besides ranching, Smothers is a doting uncle to six nieces and nephews, welcoming his most recent nephew in January 2024.
—Rebecca Aizin, Peoplemag, 27 Jan. 2024
As governor, Burgum championed a Theodore Roosevelt presidential library in the state’s colorful Badlands where the 26th president hunted and ranched in the 1880s.
—Jack Dura, Twin Cities, 22 Jan. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'ranch.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near ranch
Cite this Entry
“Ranch.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ranch. Accessed 18 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
ranch
1 of 2 noun1
: a place for the raising of livestock (as cattle, horses, or sheep) on range
2
: a farm devoted to a specific crop or kind of animal
a fruit ranch
a mink ranch
ranch
2 of 2 verb
: to live or work on a ranch
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