Word
rodeo
US/ˈɹoʊdiˌoʊ/
UK/ɹˈəʊdɪˌəʊ/
Definitions
01the sport or show
n. a competition or show where people ride wild horses or bulls and catch cattle with ropes.
n. a public exhibition or competition featuring skills derived from cattle ranching, such as bronco riding and calf roping.
“The family went to the local rodeo to watch the cowboys ride the wild bulls.”
“The annual rodeo attracts thousands of spectators who come to witness the high-stakes competition between the region's most skilled riders.”
American English
Synonyms
02cattle gathering
n. a gathering of cattle on a ranch, usually to count them or mark them with a brand.
n. a roundup of cattle on a ranch for the purpose of counting, inspection, or branding.
“The rancher spent the whole week at the rodeo, making sure every calf was branded.”
“Before the modern sport existed, the term referred simply to the seasonal rodeo where livestock were gathered from the open range for sorting.”
American English · Technical
Usage
In modern contexts, this sense is largely restricted to historical or technical ranching discussions.
Teaching tip
Learners will almost always encounter the 'sport' sense; this ranching sense is rare in general conversation.
Etymology
From Spanish rodeo, from rodear (“to surround”), which refers to a cattle roundup.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Idioms
been to the rodeo — Been exposed to conmen and hucksters; experienced.
not one's first rodeo — Not the first time one has been in a particular situation; used to indicate past experience.