ranch

American  

[ranch] / ræntʃ /

noun

1. an establishment maintained for raising livestock under range conditions.

2. Chiefly Western U.S. and Canada. a large farm used primarily to raise one kind of crop or animal.

   a mink ranch.

3. a dude ranch.

4. the persons employed or living on a ranch.

5. ranch house.

6. ranch dressing.

   I’ll have the small salad, with ranch on the side.

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verb (used without object)

1. to manage or work on a ranch.

ranch British  

/ rɑːntʃ /

noun

1. a large tract of land, esp one in North America, together with the necessary personnel, buildings, and equipment, for rearing livestock, esp cattle

2. 1. any large farm for the rearing of a particular kind of livestock or crop

      a mink ranch

   2. the buildings, land, etc, connected with it

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verb

1. (intr) to manage or run a ranch

2. (tr) to raise (animals) on or as if on a ranch

Other Word Forms

• ranchless adjective
• ranchlike adjective
• unranched adjective

Etymology

Origin of ranch

An Americanism dating from 1800–10; from Spanish rancho “farm, cattle farm, ranch”; rancho

Example Sentences

The ladies were here; the men would leave the ranch, as we call it.

From Los Angeles Times

The property also features an abundance of wildlife and cattle, which freely roam the ranch land—something they have done since “the monks first arrived,” the listing revealed.

From MarketWatch

That is now allowing the company to lean on those urban hubs to speed up deliveries in ranch country, Sullivan said.

From The Wall Street Journal

The ranch has been breeding rhinos since 2005, when it imported four southern white rhinos from a Kenyan game reserve.

From BBC

He also flew a helicopter between his 2,670-acre ranch in Utah and other properties, sometimes to the dismay of his neighbors.

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• dairy farm
• estate
• homestead
• land
• plantation