English

Noun

ranch ‎(plural ranches)

1. A large plot of land used for raising cattle, sheep or other livestock.
   • 1899, Stephen Crane, chapter 1, in Twelve O'Clock:

     There was some laughter, and Roddle was left free to expand his ideas on the periodic visits of cowboys to the town. “Mason Rickets, he had ten big punkins a-sittin' in front of his store, an' them fellers from the Upside-down-F ranch shot 'em up […].”

2. (western US) A small farm that cultivates vegetables and/or livestock.
3. A house or property on a plot of ranch land.
4. Ranch dressing.

Translations

Derived terms

• rancher
• ranchhand
• ranchslider, ranch slider

Verb

ranch ‎(third-person singular simple present ranches, present participle ranching, simple past and past participle ranched)

1. To operate a ranch; engage in ranching.

   Formally the widow still ranches, in fact she leaves all ranching to the foreman

2. To work on a ranch

   Bill had ranched only five years when his dad made him foreman

Translations

Dutch

Etymology

Borrowing from English ranch.

Pronunciation

Noun

ranch m ‎(plural ranches or ranchen, diminutive ranchje n)

1. ranch, notably livestock breeding farm, especially in North America and in other English-speaking countries

Related terms

• rancher m

Italian

Etymology

Borrowing from English ranch, from American Spanish rancho ‎(“small farm, group of farm huts”), in Spanish originally “group of people who eat together”, from ranchear ‎(“to lodge, station”), from Old French ranger ‎(“to install in position”), from rang ‎(“row, line”) (cognate with English rank)

Noun

ranch m ‎(invariable)

1. A ranch, notably livestock breeding farm.