trail boss
1
8.3
- noun
- /treɪl bɔs/
- Jargon
:
jefe de la manada
- As the trail boss, she was responsible for leading the cattle across the rugged terrain.
Examples
-
If I'm trail boss, my word goes when it comes to running the cattle, is that right?
-
My name's Gil Favor, trail boss.
-
His air of authority immediately marked him as the trail boss, or even the owner of some big ranch down by the Mexican border.
Fiction book (2002) -
In 1883, he was the trail boss on a drive from Texas to Ellsworth, Kansas.
Fiction book (1999) -
During the long cattle drive, the trail boss made crucial decisions to ensure the herd's safety.
-
The experienced trail boss knew every shortcut through the mountains, helping the cowboys save time.
Synonyms
15
9.4
A person who moves cattle or sheep from one place to another
1
5.0
A person who looks after and moves a group of animals like cows or sheep
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning ('person in charge of a cattle drive') is compositionally derived from 'trail' (route/path) + 'boss' (leader), so a learner who knows both words can infer this denotes the leader responsible for activities on the trail. Although the role is somewhat specialized (cattle drives), the head-modifier structure makes the overall sense of a leader on the trail directly understandable to a B1 learner.
Etymology
Trail boss comes from old cattle drives, where one person walked the trail ahead or beside the herd and acted as the boss to guide and control the animals. That's why trail boss means 'the person in charge of driving and taking care of a herd of cattle'.