cowcatcher

cow·catch·er

C c

Transcription

- US Pronunciation
- US IPA
- [kou-kach-er]
- /ˈkaʊˌkætʃ ər/

- US Pronunciation
- US IPA
- [kou-kach-er]
- /ˈkaʊˌkætʃ ər/

Definitions of cowcatcher word

noun cowcatcher a metal frame on the front of a locomotive to clear the track of animals or other obstructions 3
noun cowcatcher pilot (sense 5) 3
noun cowcatcher a triangular frame at the front of a locomotive, especially a steam locomotive, designed for clearing the track of obstructions. 1
noun cowcatcher A metal frame at the front of a locomotive for pushing aside cattle or other obstacles on the line. 1
noun cowcatcher (archaic, rail transport, principally US) The V-shaped device on the front of a locomotive (or other large vehicle) shaped so as to push objects on the tracks out of the way, to prevent major damage to the train. 0

See all 5 definitions of cowcatcher

Information block about the term

Origin of cowcatcher

First appearance:

before 1830

One of the 36% newest English words

An Americanism dating back to 1830-40; cow1 + catcher

Historical Comparancy

Parts of speech for Cowcatcher

noun

adjective

verb

adverb

pronoun

preposition

conjunction

determiner

exclamation

Full grammatical hierarchy of Cowcatcher

cowcatcher popularity

A pretty common term. Usually people know it’s meaning, but prefer to use a more spread out synonym. About 47% of English native speakers know the meaning and use word.

According to our data about 66% of words is more used. This is a rare but used term. It occurs in the pages of specialized literature and in the speech of educated people.

cowcatcher usage trend in Literature

This diagram is provided by Google Ngram Viewer