noun
- metal frames attached to the front of locomotives to push aside obstacles on railroad tracks
Usage: plural of cowcatcher; railroad terminology
Examples
- The old steam locomotives had large cowcatchers to clear debris from the tracks.
- Modern trains still use cowcatchers, though they’re smaller than those on vintage engines.
- The cowcatchers were designed to push cattle and other animals safely aside.
- Railroad workers inspected the cowcatchers before each journey.
- The museum’s locomotive collection features trains with ornate Victorian-era cowcatchers.
- Snow and fallen branches were cleared by the train’s cowcatchers during the winter storm.