wrangler

English

Etymology

From wrangle +‎ -er.

Noun

wrangler (plural wranglers)

1. Someone who wrangles or corrals.
2. A brawler or disputant.
   • c. 1602, William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Troylus and Cressida”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act II, scene ii]:

     The Seas and Windes (old Wranglers) tooke a Truce, / And did him ſeruice; he touch'd the Ports desir'd,

3. (US) A cowboy who takes care of saddle horses.
   • 1907, Stewart Edward White, chapter 5, in Arizona Nights‎^[1]:

     Even as I stretched my arms and shivered a little, the two wranglers threw down their tin plates with a clatter, mounted horses and rode away in the direction of the thousand acres or so known as the pasture.

4. (US) A cowboy who takes care of tourists.
5. An animal handler or trainer.
6. (UK, education, Cambridge University) A student who has completed the third year of the mathematical tripos with first-class honours.
   • 1847 January – 1848 July, William Makepeace Thackeray, chapter XXXIV, in Vanity Fair […], London: Bradbury and Evans […], published 1848, →OCLC:

     During all this excursion, she condescended to say civil things to him: she quoted Italian and French poetry to the poor bewildered lad, and persisted that he was a fine scholar, and was perfectly sure he would gain a gold medal, and be a Senior Wrangler.

7. (US, education, New England, derogatory) A special education teacher.
8. (Texas) A groom.

Usage notes

In the Cambridge sense, the student taking the first place in the class is the senior wrangler, the second is the second wrangler, and so on.

Derived terms

• baby wrangler
• tard wrangler

See also

• optime