noun
- a small hardy horse, especially one used by Native Americans of the northwestern United States
Usage: Western US; historical
Examples
- The cowboy rode his cayuse across the prairie.
- Native American tribes of the Pacific Northwest were skilled at training cayuses.
- The old rancher preferred his sturdy cayuse to the larger horses.
- She mounted her cayuse and headed toward the mountains.
- The cayuse was well-suited to the rough terrain of the region.