sheepherder

noun

sheep·​herd·​er ˈshēp-ˌhər-dər How to pronounce sheepherder (audio)
Synonyms of sheepherdernext
: a worker in charge of sheep especially on open range

Examples of sheepherder in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Felipe Baca, an ambitious sheepherder from New Mexico, arrived in the area in 1862. — Michelle Griego, CBS News, 6 Oct. 2026 His father was a sheepherder on Iceland’s northern coast who moved to Denmark, studied with Niels Bohr, immigrated to the United States, and worked on the Apollo missions. — Annie Lowrey, The Atlantic, 29 June 2026 Rather than escape, the sheepherder accepts his death. — Rebecca Mead, New Yorker, 13 Apr. 2026 Order it with your choice of strawberry, blueberry, or chocolate topping at The Star Hotel, which opened in 1910 as an 11-room boarding house for sheepherders and still rings a dinner bell before mealtime, in the town of Elko. — Arati Menon, Condé Nast Traveler, 7 Aug. 2025 See All Example Sentences for sheepherder

Word History

First Known Use

1871, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of sheepherder was in 1871

Rhymes for sheepherder

See All Rhymes for sheepherder

Browse Nearby Words

sheepheaded
sheepherder
sheepherding
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Cite this Entry

“Sheepherder.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sheepherder. Accessed 14 Oct. 2026.

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Kids Definition

sheepherder

noun
sheep·​herd·​er ˈshēp-ˌhərd-ər How to pronounce sheepherder (audio)
: a worker in charge of a flock of sheep
sheepherding
-ˌhərd-iŋ
noun

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