Is Cowpuncher One Word?

a cowboy or cowgirl.

Why do they call them Cowpunchers?

In those early days of cattle drives the cattle were not particularly eager to enter loading chutes or box cars, so the cowboys poked or punched the cattle with long poles to get them in to the cars. The term was first recorded in 1880 and soon became a synonym for all those who worked cattle.

What does cowpoke mean slang?

cowpoke (plural cowpokes) (US, slang) A cowhand (one who tends free-range cattle) (US, dated) A 19th-century device used around the necks of cows and other livestock to prevent them from challenging fencing. The action of the device was to poke the cow when the device came into contact with the fence.