mustang

[ muhs-tang ]

noun

1. a small, hardy horse of the American plains, descended from Spanish stock.
2. U.S. Navy Slang. a naval officer who received his commission while still an enlisted man.

verb (used without object)

1. to round up wild horses, especially in order to sell them illegally to slaughterhouses.

mustang

/ ˈmʌstæŋ /

noun

1. a small breed of horse, often wild or half wild, found in the southwestern US

Word History and Origins

Origin of mustang¹

1800–10, Americanism; < Spanish mestengo stray or ownerless beast, noun use of masculine adj.: pertaining to a mixed lot of beasts, equivalent to mest ( a ) such a mixed lot (< Latin ( animālia ) mixta mixed (beasts), neuter plural adj., taken as feminine singular noun; mixed ) + -engo adj. suffix

Word History and Origins

Origin of mustang¹

C19: from Mexican Spanish mestengo, from mesta a group of stray animals

Example Sentences

Government lawyers said in court filings Monday the horse advocates are trying to inflame emotions with photos and videos of injured mustangs trying to flee helicopters and wranglers on horseback.

From Seattle Times

Rep. Dina Titus, of Nevada, has introduced a bill that would outlaw the use of helicopters under any circumstances to assist wranglers on horseback chasing the mustangs into traps — makeshift corals on the high-desert range.

From Seattle Times

A longtime observer and defender of the mustangs caught the animal’s struggle on video.

From Washington Times

Eight years ago, Shane Adams jolted from the tent he was camping in — underwear-clad and scurrying to get dressed — when he heard a herd of wild mustangs zoom past.

From Washington Post

Wild horses: The Devil’s Garden Colt Challenge, a program where children from across the state adopt and train mustangs, offers a solution to the horses’ overpopulation in California.

From New York Times

Related Words

• colt
• filly
• mare
• stallion