maverick
/ˈmævəɹɪk/
Word Rarity
Rare
Frequency: Zipf frequency 3.33 in modern English
19
Scrabble Score
8
Letters
3
Syllables
8
Unique Chars
Meaning
adj
adj
Showing independence in thoughts or actions.
noun
noun
noun
One who is unconventional or does not abide by rules.
noun
One who creates or uses controversial or unconventional ideas or practices.
noun
A person in the military who became an officer by going to college while on active duty as an enlisted person.
Example Sentences
- "Occasionally some young men who have no cattle of their own will take part in these expeditions, or they will give their services by the year to receive a pro rata of all the maverick cattle that may be found. [Quoted from The Texas New Yorker, pages 110–111.]"
- "But I would rather have maverick cattle, they are more accustomed to range conditions. My cattle from the registered herd have not done too well."
- "Attempts to regulate the distribution of maverick cattle throughout the 1880s affected particularly the access of cowboys to mavericks."
- "He made a maverick decision. She is such a maverick person."
- "A maverick person tends to be wild, unsettled, and irresponsible, often an outlaw not bound by the rules and mores of society."
- "John Maynard Keynes, the internationally renowned economist, was impressed by Alan [Turing]'s work, and his unorthodox style. […] It is quite likely that Keynes viewed Alan and his maverick attitude to maths research sympathetically."
Etymology
Named after Texan lawyer and politician Samuel Maverick (1803–1870), who refused to brand his cattle. For probable origin and meaning, see Maverick. The poker noun sense (“a queen and a jack as a starting hand in Texas hold ’em”) may be from the theme song of the US Western television series Maverick (1957–1962), which says of the eponymous protagonist that “[g]amblin’ is his game” and that he is “livin’ on jacks and queens”.
Regional Pronunciation
- American English: /ˈmævəɹɪk/
- British English: /ˈmævəɹɪk/
Usage
Inflected Forms
more maverick (comparative)
most maverick (superlative)
mavericks (plural)
mavericks (present, singular)
mavericking (participle, present)
mavericked (participle, past)
mavericked (past)