Cimaroon

/ˌsɪməˈruːn/ noun

Definition

A wild horse or cattle that has escaped from domestication and runs free; a feral livestock animal, especially in the American Southwest.

Etymology

From Spanish 'cimarrón' meaning 'wild' or 'untamed,' possibly derived from 'cima' (peak), suggesting animals that roam mountain regions. The term entered English from Spanish colonial contexts.

Kelly Says

Cimaroons are basically the cowboys' nightmare and the frontier's mystery—escaped horses and cattle that went completely wild and formed their own societies in the wilderness, creating populations that nobody owned.

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