Ranch Comes From a Word for a Soldier's Mess
A ranch is a large livestock farm. The Spanish word behind it first meant a group of people who ate together.
A ranch is a large farm where cattle, sheep or horses are raised. The word travelled a long way from its origin: Spanish *rancho* meant a group of people who ate together, especially soldiers messing in the same hut, and by extension the hut itself. American English took the Mexican Spanish word in the 1800s and applied it to the cattle operations of the west. *Ranch dressing* was invented at a California dude ranch in the 1950s and named after it.
- A livestock farm. *A cattle ranch.*
- Rancher — the owner. *A rancher.*
- Ranch house — a single-storey home. *A ranch house.*
- Ranch dressing — a salad sauce. *Ranch dressing.*
- Spanish — *rancho*, a mess group. *The source.*
Word forms
| Form | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Noun | ranch | A ranch. |
| Plural | ranches | Ranches. |
| Verb | ranch | They ranch cattle. |
| Agent | rancher | A rancher. |
| Spanish | rancho | A mess or hut. |
- The ranch runs two thousand head of cattle.Farm.
- They live in a ranch house.Building.
- Rancho meant a soldiers' mess.Etymology.
Spanish words the American west adopted
- Ranch — from *rancho*
- Lasso — from *lazo*, a snare
- Corral — from *corral*, an enclosure
- Stampede — from *estampida*, a crash or uproar
- Buckaroo — an English reshaping of *vaquero*, a cowherd
Mexican Spanish *rancho*, a small farm or camp, from Spanish *rancho*, a group who eat together, from Old Spanish *rancharse*, to be lodged.
What did rancho originally mean?
A group of people who ate together, especially soldiers sharing a mess, and then the hut they shared.
Why is a salad dressing called ranch?
It was created at Hidden Valley Ranch in California in the 1950s and named after the place.