<human>: I'm interested in learning more about the etymology of the word “cowboy.” Can you tell me how it came to be used to describe someone from the West?
<bot>: The term cowboy originated as a reference to the people who worked on cattle ranches in the American West. Cowboys were often hired by ranchers to work on their ranches, and they would ride horses to move cattle from one place to another. Cowboys also had to protect themselves and their property from attacks by Native Americans and other groups.