cowcatcher

[ kou-kach-er ]

noun

1. a triangular frame at the front of a locomotive, especially a steam locomotive, designed for clearing the track of obstructions.

cowcatcher

/ ˈkaʊˌkætʃə /

noun

1. a metal frame on the front of a locomotive to clear the track of animals or other obstructions

Word History and Origins

Origin of cowcatcher¹

An Americanism dating back to 1830–40; cow ¹ + catcher

Example Sentences

Maybe it’s the colorful psychedelic-painted steam locomotive, where balls that miss the tunnel underneath ricochet off the cowcatcher with a satisfying clang.

From Washington Post

With each new handoff, he lowers his shoulders and steams ahead, face mask jutting out like a cowcatcher, yards piling up all the while.

From The Guardian

A train comes, black and sooty, with a “triangular snout of the cowcatcher” and a single ragged boxcar.

From The New Yorker

Though her voice is powerful, and powerfully amplified, it is like a cowcatcher, pushing everything out of its way as it chugs down the tracks.

From New York Times

The locomotive was black, an ungainly contraption led by the triangular snout of the cowcatcher, though there would be few animals where this engine was headed.

From Literature