Independent-minded individuals who refuse to conform to conventional practices or beliefs; originally, unbranded cattle.
Named after Samuel Maverick, a 19th-century Texas rancher who refused to brand his cattle. The term transferred from unbranded livestock to independent people by the early 20th century.
It's wonderfully ironic that a word meaning 'nonconformist' comes from a man's surname - Samuel Maverick achieved immortality precisely by refusing to follow standard ranching practices. His cattle ran free and unbranded, just like the free-thinking people who now bear his name.
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