mustang

noun

mus·tang ˈmə-ˌstaŋ

Synonyms of mustang next

: a small hardy naturalized horse of U.S. western plains directly descended from horses brought in by the Spaniards

also : bronc

slang : a commissioned officer (as in the U.S. Navy) who has risen from the ranks

Examples of mustang in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Last year, 31 mustangs were killed during a Bureau of Land Management helicopter roundup of 2,000 horses in Nevada. —

Cathy Free, Washington Post, 4 July 2024 The sculpture was built in the early 1980s and symbolizes Texas’ untamed past as a group of mustangs running across a stream. —

Brayden Garcia, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 13 June 2024 Barely above their manes, the operators of the screaming helicopters are corralling the mustangs and burros into a pack and driving them toward holding pens, often miles and miles away. —

Philip Elliott, TIME, 3 June 2024 That doesn’t mean the practice of helo-policing mustangs, as they are also called, is any less shocking to see. —

Philip Elliott, TIME, 3 June 2024 See all Example Sentences for mustang

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'mustang.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Mexican Spanish mestengo, from Spanish, stray, from mesteño strayed, from mesta annual roundup of cattle that disposed of strays, from Medieval Latin (animalia) mixta mixed animals

First Known Use

1808, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler

The first known use of mustang was in 1808

See more words from the same year

Cite this Entry

Style

“Mustang.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/mustang. Accessed 15 Jul. 2024.

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Kids Definition

mustang

noun

mus·tang ˈməs-ˌtaŋ

: a small hardy wild horse of the western plains of the U.S. that is directly descended from horses brought in by the Spaniards

: bronco sense 1

Etymology

from American Spanish mestengo "a wild or stray horse," from Spanish mestengo "a stray animal," derived from mesta "an annual roundup of stray cattle," from Latin (animalia) mixta "mixed animals"

Word Origin

Many American cowboy practices can be traced back to those of northern Mexico. One such practice is a yearly roundup of unbranded or stray cattle. Centuries ago in Spain, cattle without owners were rounded up each year and sold. The Spanish word for this roundup was mesta, which came from a Latin phrase that meant "mixed animals." From mesta, the Spanish created the word mestengo, meaning "a wild or stray animal." In the form of Spanish spoken in Mexico, mestengo came to be used for wild or stray horses. As these horses became common in the western plains of the U.S., English borrowed the Mexican Spanish word mestengo as mustang.

Geographical Definition

Mustang

geographical name

Mu·stang mu̇-ˈstäŋ

variants or locally Lo

ˈlō

historical Himalayan kingdom in remote northern Nepal bordered by Tibet on the west, north, and east

Last Updated: 10 Jul 2024 - Updated example sentences

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mustang

noun

Examples of mustang in a Sentence

Word History

Dictionary Entries Near mustang

Cite this Entry

Kids Definition

Geographical Definition

geographical name