Plural of cowherd; multiple people who tend and manage cattle herds.
Regular plural of 'cowherd' formed by adding '-s' to the singular occupational noun.
Medieval villages needed multiple cowherds depending on herd size, and records from the Middle Ages sometimes specify whether a cowherd was responsible for dairy cows, beef cattle, or breeding stock—specialized roles hidden in one title.
Cowherd historically defaulted to male; the suffix '-herd' applied generically to occupations (shepherd, goatherd) but masculine reference was unmarked default, obscuring women's pastoral labor.
Use 'cowherds' neutrally for mixed or unspecified groups; if historical specificity matters, pair with 'woman' or 'man.' Avoid creating feminized alternatives.
["cattle herders","pastoral workers","herders"]
Women managed herds across cultures and centuries in pastoral economies, yet pastoral work remains male-coded in many historical and literary traditions.
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