Definition

1. Noun:
   • A herder of sheep (on an open range); someone who keeps the sheep together in a flock: A person whose occupation is to tend and manage a flock of sheep, especially in open grazing areas.
   • A man who raises (or tends) sheep: A man engaged in the business or occupation of breeding, raising, and caring for sheep.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • The old sheepman has spent his entire life on the vast plains, moving his flock from pasture to pasture.
  • He is a third-generation sheepman, having inherited the ranch from his father.

Advanced Usage

• The term often carries connotations of a traditional, pastoral lifestyle, particularly in regions with large-scale open-range grazing, such as the American West, Australia, or New Zealand.
• It can be used to distinguish a person whose primary livelihood is sheep from other types of ranchers (e.g., cattlemen).

Variants and Related Words

• Sheepherder (n): A synonym, often used interchangeably with "sheepman," especially in North America.
• Shepherd (n): A more general term for a person who tends sheep. While a "sheepman" often implies ownership or management of a flock as a business, a "shepherd" can refer to a hired worker.
• Rancher (n): A person who owns or operates a ranch, which may raise sheep, cattle, or other livestock. A sheepman is a type of rancher.
• Grazier (n): A person who grazes livestock, which can include sheep.

Synonyms

• Sheepherder
• Shepherd
• Drover (more general, for herding livestock)

Antonyms

• Sheep (n): The animal being herded, not the herder.

Noun

1. a herder of sheep (on an open range); someone who keeps the sheep together in a flock
2. a man who raises (or tends) sheep