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Homestead vs Ranch - What's the difference?

homestead | ranch |

As nouns the difference between homestead and ranch

is that homestead is a house together with surrounding land and buildings, especially on a farm while ranch is a large plot of land used for raising cattle, sheep or other livestock.

As verbs the difference between homestead and ranch

is that homestead is to acquire or settle on land as a homestead while ranch is to operate a ranch; engage in ranching.

homestead

English

Noun

(wikipedia homestead) (en noun)
  • a house together with surrounding land and buildings, especially on a farm
  • (Dryden)
  • the place that is one's home
  • (South Africa) A cluster of several houses occupied by an extended family
  • The home or seat of a family; place of origin.
  • * W. Tooke
  • We can trace them back to a homestead on the Rivers Volga and Ural.

    Verb

    (en verb)
  • To acquire or settle on land as a homestead.
  • See also

    * hstead * homesteading * smallholding

    ranch

    English

    Noun

    (ranches)
  • A large plot of land used for raising cattle, sheep or other livestock.
  • *{{quote-book, year=1899, author=(Stephen Crane)
  • , title=, chapter=1 , passage=There was some laughter, and Roddle was left free to expand his ideas on the periodic visits of cowboys to the town. “Mason Rickets, he had ten big punkins a-sittin' in front of his store, an' them fellers from the Upside-down-F ranch shot 'em up […].”}}
  • A small farm that cultivates vegetables and/or livestock.
  • A house or property on a ranch land.
  • Ranch dressing.
  • Derived terms

    * rancher * ranchhand * ranchslider, ranch slider

    Verb

    (es)
  • To operate a ranch; engage in ranching.
  • Formally the widow still ranches''', in fact she leaves all ' ranching to the foreman
  • To work on a ranch
  • :: ''Bill had ranched only five years when his dad made him foreman