1. people who steal cattle or other livestock
Usage: historical; Western U.S.

Examples

• The sheriff organized a posse to catch the rustlers who had stolen dozens of cattle.
• In the Old West, rustlers were often hanged when caught.
• The ranchers formed a vigilante group to protect their herds from rustlers.
• Cattle rustlers would often rebrand stolen livestock to hide their crimes.
• The movie depicted a gang of rustlers terrorizing local farmers.
• Modern rustlers use trucks instead of horses to transport stolen cattle.