cowherd
noun, proper noun
Forms cowherds cowheard
- noun One who herds cattle; a cowboy.
- proper noun A surname originating as an occupation.
Synonyms
cowherder cowboy Coward cowpuncher puncher cowman cattleman cowpoke cowhand
Etymology
From Middle English couherde, from Old English cūhierde, equivalent to cow + herd (“herder”). Doublet of Coward (the surname). Cognate with German Kuhhirte (“cowherd”). Compare shepherd, goatherd, swineherd, etc.
From cowherd.
Webster’s 1913
- noun One whose occupation is to tend cows.
Etymology [AS. c; c cow + hyrde a herder.]
Sources: Wiktionary · WordNet 3.0 · Webster’s 1913 — from the Wiktionary entry “cowherd”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details