A bunch of unbranded cattle, a rancher who was really a lawyer, and a bad debt, these ideas are combined in the word maverick.The basic meaning of the word maverick is an unbranded range animal. The word maverick comes from the nineteenth century, and a pioneer named Samuel August Maverick who did not brand his calves. In the middle of the nineteenth century, in the southern part of Texas, a lawyer was given 400 cattle form a client instead of money to settle a debt of 1200 dollars. Maverick did not need the cattle, neighboring ranchers took advantage of this and burned their own brand on the calves, taking them for their own. His name became part of the American language because, even though maverick sold his herd of cattle, the term maverick had already spread throughout the west, and was associated with unbranded cattle. Some cross-references for maverick are cattle ranching, cowboys and strays. Ownership of cattle was determined by the brand Without a brand, c!.
attle could be easily stolen. Changing a cattle brand was a serious crime in the Old West. People caught changing cattle brands were often hung. Therefore, the word maverick suggests anything dishonestly come by.
Other meanings for the word maverick are an independent individual who does not go along with a group or party, and a characteristic of, suggestive of, or inclined to be a maverick. A maverick is not someone who does everything that he or she is told, nor someone that follows rules. The word maverick has two dictionary meanings. One is somebody who holds independent views and who refuses to conform to the accepted or orthodox thinking on a subject. The other meaning is an unbranded animal, especially a calf that has become separated from its mother and herd. By convention, it can become the property of whoever finds it and brands it. This word was used in a very popular movie called "Top Gun" starring actor Tom Cruise.
