# rodeo

/ˈɹoʊdiˌoʊ/ (US) · /ɹˈəʊdɪˌəʊ/ (UK)

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

## Senses

### 1. the sport or show

noun · CEFR B2 · American English

a competition or show where people ride wild horses or bulls and catch cattle with ropes.

For teachers: 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.

### 2. cattle gathering

noun · CEFR C2 · American English · Technical

a gathering of cattle on a ranch, usually to count them or mark them with a brand.

For teachers: 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.

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.

## Examples

- He won a belt buckle at the local rodeo.
- The town hosts a massive rodeo every summer, attracting thousands of fans of western sports.
- While the rodeo remains a cornerstone of rural cultural identity, it has increasingly faced scrutiny from animal welfare organisations regarding the treatment of the livestock involved.

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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.