Plural of buckaroo; cowboys or ranch workers in the American West, especially those of Spanish or Mexican descent.
From Spanish 'vaquero' (cowboy, literally 'cow herder'), with the 'v' becoming 'b' through phonetic shift in English, plus the plural suffix '-s'.
The word buckaroo preserves Spanish linguistic roots in American English—it's a linguistic echo of the Spanish vaquero culture that shaped American ranching!
Spanish vaquero → English buckaroo; historically applied exclusively to male ranch workers. Modern usage persists with masculine default despite women ranch workers, bronco riders, and cattle herders in American and Latin American ranching traditions.
Use gender-neutral alternatives when possible: 'ranch hand,' 'cowpoke,' 'rider,' 'herder.' If referencing historical term, specify gender when relevant or use plural to remain neutral.
["ranch hand","ranch worker","cowpoke","herder","rider","vaquero/vaquera"]
Women like Lucille Mulhall (first woman Wild West performer) and countless unnamed Latina and Indigenous women were essential to ranching operations but erased from 'buckaroo' mythology.
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