gaucho

[ gou-choh; Spanish gou-chaw ]

noun

, plural gau·chos [gou, -chohz, gou, -chaws].

1. a cowboy of the South American pampas, usually of mixed Spanish and Indigenous ancestry.
2. gauchos. Also called gaucho pants. wide, calf-length trousers for men or women modeled after the trousers worn by South American gauchos.

gaucho

/ ˈɡaʊtʃəʊ /

noun

1. a cowboy of the South American pampas, usually one of mixed Spanish and Indian descent

Word History and Origins

Origin of gaucho¹

First recorded in 1815–25; from South American Spanish, from Arawak cachu “comrade”

Word History and Origins

Origin of gaucho¹

C19: from American Spanish, probably from Quechuan wáhcha orphan, vagabond

Example Sentences

Cattle and ranching are synonymous with the culture and romance of the gauchos—the cowboys of southern Brazil—as legendary as their counterparts in the American West and known for skewered barbecued steak called churrasco.

From National Geographic

People driving by his sanctuary honk their car horns, shouting “¡Viva el gaucho!”

From Seattle Times

Both nations cherish gaucho or cowboy culture; some people worship soccer as a quasi-religion.

From Seattle Times

Both nations cherish gaucho or cowboy culture, and some people worship soccer as a quasi-religion.

From Seattle Times

And it might be easier to achieve than the idea recently mooted by the Argentine and Brazilian presidents - a common currency for the two countries, possibly to be called the "sur" or even the "gaucho".

From BBC

Related Words

• driver
• passenger
• traveler