rancho

English

Etymology

Borrowed from Spanish rancho (“mess, mess room”). Compare ranch.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈɹɑːnt͡ʃoʊ/
• Hyphenation: ran‧cho

Noun

rancho (plural ranchos or ranchoes) (US, regional, archaic)

1. A simple hut, such as one with posts, covered with branches or thatch, where herdsmen or farm workers would lodge at night.
2. A large grazing farm where horses and cattle are raised; distinguished from hacienda, a cultivated farm or plantation.
   • 1840, Richard Henry Dana Jr., Two Years Before the Mast:

     The nearest house, they told us, was a rancho, or cattle-farm, about three miles off.

Related terms

• ranchero

References

• “rancho”, in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: G. & C. Merriam, 1913, →OCLC.

Anagrams

• Anchor, Charon, achorn, anchor, archon, noarch

Chavacano

Etymology

Inherited from Spanish rancho.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈrant͡ʃo/, [ˈrãɲ.t͡ʃo]
• Hyphenation: ran‧cho

Noun

rancho

1. ranch

   Synonym: ranchería

Galician

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈrant͡ʃo/ [ˈranʲ.t͡ʃʊ]
• Rhymes: -antʃo
• Hyphenation: ran‧cho

Etymology 1

Unknown.

Noun

rancho m (plural ranchos, feminine rancha, feminine plural ranchas)

1. piglet

   Synonyms: bácoro, leitón, lercho

Etymology 2

Borrowed from Spanish rancho

Noun

rancho m (plural ranchos)

1. mess (food set for a group of people); especially in jail, military

References

• Antón Luís Santamarina Fernández, editor (2006–2013), “rancho”, in Dicionario de Dicionarios da lingua galega [Dictionary of Dictionaries of the Galician language] (in Galician), Santiago de Compostela: Instituto da Lingua Galega
• Antón Luís Santamarina Fernández, Ernesto Xosé González Seoane, María Álvarez de la Granja, editors (2003–2018), “rancho”, in Tesouro informatizado da lingua galega (in Galician), Santiago de Compostela: Instituto da Lingua Galega
• Rosario Álvarez Blanco, editor (2014–2024), “rancho”, in Tesouro do léxico patrimonial galego e portugués (in Galician), Santiago de Compostela: Instituto da Lingua Galega, →ISSN

Further reading

• “rancho”, in Dicionario da Real Academia Galega (in Galician), A Coruña: Royal Galician Academy, 2012–2025
• “rancho”, in Dicionário Estraviz de galego (in Galician), 2014–2025

Italian

Etymology

Unadapted borrowing from Spanish rancho, deverbal of rancharse (“to get ready, to settle in a place”); 16th century military terminology from French se ranger (“to arrange onself”), from rang (“row, line”), from Frankish *hring.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈran.t͡ʃo/
• Rhymes: -antʃo
• Hyphenation: ràn‧cho

Noun

rancho m (plural ranchos)

1. settlement
2. ranch (small farm that cultivates vegetables or livestock)

Related terms

• rancio

Further reading

• rancho in Treccani.it – Vocabolario Treccani on line, Istituto dell'Enciclopedia Italiana

Polish

Etymology

Unadapted borrowing from Spanish rancho.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈran.t͡ʂɔ/

• Audio:

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ant͡ʂɔ
• Syllabification: ran‧cho

Noun

rancho n

1. (agriculture) alternative spelling of ranczo

Declension

Declension of rancho

	singular	plural
nominative	rancho	rancha
genitive	rancha	ranch
dative	ranchu	ranchom
accusative	rancho	rancha
instrumental	ranchem	ranchami
locative	ranchu	ranchach
vocative	rancho	rancha

or

Indeclinable.

Further reading

• rancho in Wielki słownik języka polskiego, Instytut Języka Polskiego PAN
• rancho in Polish dictionaries at PWN

Portuguese

Etymology

Borrowed from Spanish rancho, from Old French se ranger (“to be quartered, take up a position”).

Pronunciation

 

• (Brazil) IPA^(key): /ˈʁɐ̃.ʃu/ [ˈhɐ̃.ʃu]

• (Brazil) IPA^(key): /ˈʁɐ̃.ʃu/ [ˈhɐ̃.ʃu]
  • (Rio de Janeiro) IPA^(key): /ˈʁɐ̃.ʃu/ [ˈχɐ̃.ʃu]
  • (Southern Brazil) IPA^(key): /ˈʁɐ̃.ʃo/ [ˈhɐ̃.ʃo]

 

• (Portugal) IPA^(key): /ˈʁɐ̃.ʃu/

• (Portugal) IPA^(key): /ˈʁɐ̃.ʃu/
  • (Northern Portugal) IPA^(key): /ˈʁɐ̃.t͡ʃu/

• Rhymes: -ɐ̃ʃu

Noun

rancho m (plural ranchos)

1. hut; rancho (primitive house)

   Synonym: casebre

2. mess (food set for a group of people); especially in jail
3. a group of people doing something together
4. ranch (large plot for livestock); especially one in the western United States
5. (carnaval) a representation of the pastoral lifestyle

Further reading

• “rancho”, in Michaelis Dicionário Brasileiro da Língua Portuguesa (in Portuguese), São Paulo: Editora Melhoramentos, 2015–2025
• “rancho”, in Dicionário infopédia da Lingua Portuguesa (in Portuguese), Porto: Porto Editora, 2003–2025

Spanish

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈrant͡ʃo/ [ˈrãnʲ.t͡ʃo]
• Rhymes: -antʃo
• Syllabification: ran‧cho

Etymology 1

Deverbal from rancharse (“to get ready, to settle in a place”); 16th century military terminology from French se ranger (“to arrange onself”), from rang (“row, line”), from Frankish *hring.

Noun

rancho m (plural ranchos)

1. ranch
2. shed, barn
3. mess (mealtime)
   • 1926, Roberto Arlt, “El juguete rabioso”, in El juguete rabioso:

     A la hora del rancho, chapoteando en el barro, nos acercamos a las ollas hediondas de comida.

     (please add an English translation of this quotation)

4. (nautical) crew's quarters

Derived terms

• ranchera
• ranchería
• rancherío
• ranchero

Descendants

• → Catalan: ranxo
• → English: ranch
  • → German: Ranch
• → Polish: ranczo
• → Portuguese: rancho

Etymology 2

Verb

rancho

1. first-person singular present indicative of ranchar

Further reading

• “rancho”, in Diccionario de la lengua española [Dictionary of the Spanish Language] (in Spanish), online version 23.8, Royal Spanish Academy [Spanish: Real Academia Española], 10 December 2024