Chivarra

/tʃɪˈvɑːrə/ noun

Definition

A leather covering or chap worn around the legs, similar to chaparral; used in southwestern ranching culture.

Etymology

From Spanish 'chaparrajo' or similar Southwest origin, related to 'chaparral' (dense shrub). The word reflects vaquero culture and Spanish-language influence on American English.

Kelly Says

Chivarras protected cowboys from thorny scrubland and rattlesnakes—the word itself is a linguistic artifact of how Spanish vaquero culture shaped American frontier vocabulary and traditions that persist in modern rodeo terminology.

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