ranch

A ranch is not just any farm. It is usually a large piece of land used for raising animals like cattle or sheep, especially in the American West. It brings to mind open land, horses, and cowboys. In everyday speech, "ranch" can also describe a kind of home: a ranch-style house is a long, one-story house. And in the kitchen, "ranch" is also a creamy salad dressing with herbs.

You might stay on a working ranch for a holiday and help care for animals, or you might buy a ranch-style house because you want a home without stairs. The word comes from the Spanish rancho.

The word "ranch" most often refers to a large farm where people raise grazing animals, especially cattle. This meaning is strongly tied to North America, especially the western United States, where people may picture wide fields, fences, horses, and cowboys. A ranch can be both a home and a business, and some are still working places where animals are bred, fed, moved, and sold. "After years of city life, they decided to move to Montana and start a cattle ranch."

The word also appears in housing. A ranch house, or ranch-style house, is a one-story home with a long, low shape. This style became very common in the United States in the 20th century, and people still use the term when talking about real estate. "They bought a small ranch house outside town."

In food, "ranch" usually means ranch dressing, a creamy dressing made with ingredients such as buttermilk, herbs, garlic, and onion. People use it on salads, but also as a dip for vegetables, fries, chicken wings, and many other snacks. In casual American English, someone might simply ask, "Do you want ranch with that?"

So the word can point to land, a kind of home, or a familiar flavor. The exact meaning usually becomes clear from the setting.