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rustler

rustler

13 8.7
A person who steals cattle by moving them away from farms or ranches
  • noun
  • /ˈrʌslər/
  • US
translation icon : ladrón de ganado
  • In the 1980s and 1990s, in rare cases, persistent burglars or cattle rustlers died at the hands of community members.
  • cattle rustlers

He was a, he wasn't a rustler by trade, but he was good at, at doing those sorts of things.

Examples

  • In 4 months, he was shot for being a cattle rustler.

  • He said he saw the rustler.

  • The men these rustlers killed, they were my friends.

  • "Every farmer up and down this river is itching to get a shot at a rustler."

    Fiction book (2001)
  • We knew we'd found our rustlers.

    Fiction book (1997)
  • Under the threat of army intervention, the Pangor villagers finally turned the suspected rustler over to the government authorities.

    Academic text (2001)
  • Cattle we brought in were hazed off by Indians and rustlers.

  • Not long before, a cattle rustler out in Hendry County had shot Mr. Cole with a few shotgun pellets.

    Fiction book (1990)
  • In a town with no sheriff, for example, individuals, families, or other groups may have to drive off cattle rustlers and forcibly recover property unlawfully acquired by such offenders.

    Academic text (2003)
  • The ranchers hired extra hands to protect their cattle from rustlers who might steal them at night.

Synonyms

thief
vsrustler
754 1.0

A person who takes someone else's things without permission

takes animals by moving them, not just sneaking items away
stealer
vsrustler
4 4.6

A person who takes things that belong to others without permission

focuses specifically on taking animals by driving them away
cattle thief
vsrustler
2 6.7

A person who steals cows or other farm animals

steals animals by driving them away illegally
sheepstealer
vsrustler
  • Archaic
9.9

A person who takes sheep illegally to keep or sell them

targets larger livestock and often moves them over distances
larcener
vsrustler
  • Archaic
9.9

A person who illegally takes other people's things

is a rural animal taker rather than a broad legal label

How Criminal

outlaw
101 4.4
bandit
108 4.6
rustler
  • US
13 8.7
thief
754 1.0
pilferer
1 7.3

Surface Forms

rustler singular
rustlers plural

Morphology

rustler = rustle (semi-transparent) = rustle + er

The formation is a standard agent noun from the verb 'rustle', but the livestock-stealing sense of 'rustle' is specialized and may be unknown or confused with other senses of 'rustle' (e.g., make a soft sound).

Etymology

The word rustler comes from the verb rustle, which means 'to move quietly' or 'to make a soft sound'. A helpful way to remember it is that thieves would quietly drive away cows and other animals, so a rustler is someone who steals livestock.