Cowmen

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A person who tends to or manages cattle, often on a ranch or farm
2. One engaged in the profession of raising or herding cows, typically in a rural agricultural setting
3. Individuals responsible for the care and handling of livestock, particularly bovines, in various agricultural contexts

Etymology: Cowmen is simply the plural of "cowman," a compound of "cow" and "man," and the pattern is old. Both parts are native English: "cow" comes from Old English "cū," and "man" from Old English "mann," so the word is a plain Germanic formation rather than a borrowing from Latin or French. Compounds of this kind, pairing an animal with "man" to name a keeper or worker, were a productive way of naming occupations in English, as in "herdsman" and "shepherd" (which itself combines "sheep" with "herd," a keeper). Because "cowman" is a transparent compound, its meaning follows directly from its parts: a man who looks after cows. In American usage, where open-range cattle ranching shaped much of the vocabulary, the term came to cover those who handle cattle on a ranch, a sense that has stayed close to its literal origin.

Synonyms: ranchers, herders