# bronco

/ˈbɹɑŋkoʊ/ (US) · /bɹˈɒnkəʊ/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/bronco
Updated: 2026-08-08

## Senses

### 1. a wild horse

noun · CEFR C1 · American English

a wild horse from the American West that has not been trained for riding.

For teachers: a wild or semi-wild horse of the western United States, often one that is untrained or difficult to break.

- The cowboy tried to stay on the bucking bronco for as long as possible.
- The rodeo featured a competition where riders attempted to stay mounted on a powerful bronco that had never been broken to a saddle.

Usage: Often used in the context of rodeos or Western history.

Teaching tip: This term is specifically North American; in other regions, learners might simply use 'wild horse'.

### 2. Denver Broncos player

noun · CEFR C2 · American English

a player for the Denver Broncos, an American football team.

For teachers: a member of the Denver Broncos professional American football franchise.

- The star bronco scored a touchdown in the final minute of the game.
- Local fans gathered at the stadium to cheer on the Broncos during the championship playoffs.

Usage: Usually capitalized when referring to the team name, but can be lowercase when referring to an individual player.

Teaching tip: This is a highly specific cultural reference to the NFL team in Colorado.

## Examples

- The cowboy tried to calm the wild bronco.
- During the rodeo, the bronco bucked the rider off the horse several times before the competition ended.
- The rancher spent months working with the bronco to ensure it was safe enough for the inexperienced stable hands to manage during the summer season.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.