Definitions
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
- n. An unbranded range animal, especially a calf that has become separated from its mother, traditionally considered the property of the first person who brands it.
- n. One that refuses to abide by the dictates of or resists adherence to a group; a dissenter.
- adj. Being independent in thought and action or exhibiting such independence: maverick politicians; a maverick decision.
Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia
- n. On the great cattle-ranges of the United States, an animal found without an owner's brand, particularly a calf away from its dam, on which the finder puts his own or his employer's brand; or one of a number of such animals gathered in a general round-up or muster of the herds of different owners feeding together, which are distributed in a manner agreed upon.
- n. Hence—2. Anything dishonestly obtained, as a saddle, mine, or piece of land.
- To seize or brand (an animal) as a maverick; hence, to take possession of without any legal claim; appropriate dishonestly or illegally: as, to maverick a piece of land.
Wiktionary
- adj. Showing independence in thoughts or actions.
- n. An unbranded range animal.
- n. One who does not abide by rules.
- n. One who creates or uses unconventional and/or controversial ideas or practices.
- n. poker slang A queen and a jack as a starting hand in Texas hold ’em
GNU Webster's 1913
- n. In the southwestern part of the united States, a bullock or heifer that has not been branded, and is unclaimed or wild; -- said to be from Maverick, the name of a cattle owner in Texas who neglected to brand his cattle.
- v. Western U. S. To take a maverick.
WordNet 3.0
- n. someone who exhibits great independence in thought and action
- adj. independent in behavior or thought
- n. an unbranded range animal (especially a stray calf); belongs to the first person who puts a brand on it
Etymologies
- From the surname of Texas lawyer Samuel Maverick, who refused to brand his cattle. The surname Maverick is of Welsh origin, from Welsh mawr-rwyce, meaning "valiant hero". An alternative etymology proposes the Hebrew word מבריק (maḇərīq) "shiny, brilliant" as origin. (Wiktionary)
- Possibly after Samuel Augustus Maverick (1803-1870), American cattleman who left the calves in his herd unbranded . (American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition)
Examples
“If you understand that the word maverick is code for undisciplined.”
Steven Denlinger: Dear Sarah Palin, Please leave - we don't need your sort in Ohio!
“As opposed to using the term maverick, how about a list of how mavericky he has been.”
“Or when McCain tries to reintroduce the term maverick into the campaign, Obama makes fun of it and shows the opposite of what maverick means.”
“I cheered when Senator Joe Biden put to rest her use of the term maverick to describe John McCain when Biden said stated, “he has been no maverick on the things that matter to people's lives.””
“The title maverick was derived from a stock man of that name, whose practice was to claim _all_ unbranded calves in a herd.”
“While the bit about the "rage animal" seems to align itself with one of McCain's purported problems, I must acknowledge that the term maverick does connote a positive image in the”
“Here's a bit of history for you: the term maverick actually comes from a real person, not a television series.”
“Why does he and others think that being a maverick is a good thing.”
Think Progress » FLASHBACK: McCain Said Of Himself And Palin, ‘What Do You Expect Of Two Mavericks?’
“Which means that calling someone a maverick is actually a neutral description.”
“When mom is single by choice or circumstance or raising children in a two-mom family (what I call maverick moms), society's veneration of the so-called "traditional family" only adds to the holiday burden.”
Lists
These user-created lists contain the word ‘maverick’.
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501
Classic
aberration, abstruse, anomaly, assiduous, august, banal, boisterous, dulcet, epitome, impudent, insolent, mellifluous and 401 more...
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GRE Barron's 800
abate, abdicate, aberrant, abeyance, abject, abjure, abscission, abscond, abstemious, abstinence, abysmal, accretion and 787 more...
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501
Classic
aberration, abstruse, anomaly, assiduous, august, banal, boisterous, dulcet, epitome, impudent, insolent, mellifluous and 401 more...
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GRE 2014
abase, abate, abdicate, aberrant, abeyance, abhor, abjure, abortive, abound, abrasive, abreast, abridge and 1577 more...
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EN-HU - important words for a HU inte...
Words only (I left out the expressions) from Geza Kerenyi's EN-HU interpreters' dictionary. Most of them pose some difficulty when interpreted between HU and EN in either or both directions.
abalone, abrasive, abstractionist, abstruse, abysmal, academia, accessibility, accessible, acclimate, accolade, accompanist, achiever and 1469 more...
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SCIE - statistics
a priori probability, Abbe-Helmert crit..., absolute error, absolutely unbias..., accuracy, ACF, affinity, AIC, algorithm, allometry, alphabet, anomic and 4171 more...
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HU Realia
Cultural realia from Hungary.
I have only included realia that already have an English spelling variant and DID NOT include Hungarian words that would be used in English texts unchang...charcoal kiln, embroidered felt ..., farmstead, golden stick, graft, herdsman’s whip, inn, lever well, limekiln, local border traffic, maypole, merino and 356 more...
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501
Classic
irk, teem, blight, pith, moot, mete, ire, bane, bilk, boor, elan, ado and 401 more...
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501
Classic
aberration, abstruse, anomaly, assiduous, august, banal, boisterous, dulcet, epitome, impudent, insolent, mellifluous and 401 more...
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February 2012
filiopietistic, bifurcate, enclave, wedlock, decadent, unduly, defunct, lapel, tumescent, capitulation, leaden, scintilla and 83 more...
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PART 2: 100 Word You Should Know To B...
Here are 40 advanced English words which should you be able to use them in a sentence will impress even educated native speakers! Perfect if you want to impress the examiner in examinations like: I...
jubilant, knell, lithe, lurid, maverick, maxim, meticulous, modicum, morose, myriad, nadir, nominal and 28 more...
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Vocab_TC60Q_txtbook
most vocab in the textbook Page till end chapter 2.
forfeited, nullifying, avowed, libelous, sapped, fascistic, outclassed, revolting, ecumenical, looming, fretful, penitent and 86 more...
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gre2
aberrant, aberration, aboveboard, abrasive, abstemious, acme, admonish, affable, affluent, alacrity, allegory, alleviate and 1901 more...
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jan_21
magoosh listens
infuriating, galvanize, sporadic, imperciptible, shirk, protean, versatile, auspicious, clairvoyance, nary, predilection, inkling and 63 more...
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Living outside the status quo
cardsharp, grifter, heist, heroine, mercenary, rapscallion, rogue, truant, renegade, outlaw, rebel, sedition and 4 more...
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words to remember
loquacious, decorous, bombastic, impetuous, pedantic, cantankerous, abscond, sagacity, chiaroscuro, histrionic, mincing, maverick
Tweets
Looking for tweets for maverick.

vintage Years ago in an IBM revue : the meaning was somebody without experience Jun 7, 2010
gangerh Something that de-mavericks a maverick. Oct 13, 2008
fbharjo What is a maverick's brand? Oct 13, 2008
chained_bear James Garner played. I hope. Oct 9, 2008
bilby Tom Selleck played. Moustache probably still drooping :-{ Oct 9, 2008
reesetee *wondering how many of us played the "my friends" drinking game during the second debate*
*wondering how many are still hung over* Oct 9, 2008
Prolagus I should remove this word from my "A spoonful of sugar" list, since there is no way I can possibly forget the meaning of this word after the Palin-bombing. Oct 9, 2008
kewpid He did not say it at all during the second debate. Thanks in no small part to Tina Fey methinks. Oct 9, 2008
whichbe *wink* Oct 8, 2008
chained_bear Interesting, Lampbane! I was thinking about the history of the word and how it doesn't really apply in this case, but I didn't know all this family history. Thanks for posting.
This was my favorite part of the article:
"“It’s just incredible — the nerve! — to suggest that he’s not part of that Republican herd. Every time we hear it, all my children and I and all my family shrink a little and say, ‘Oh, my God, he said it again.’�?
“He’s a Republican,�? she said. “He’s branded.�? Oct 7, 2008
lampbane Who You Callin’ a Maverick?
There’s that word again: maverick. In Thursday’s vice-presidential debate, Gov. Sarah Palin of Alaska, the Republican candidate, used it to describe herself and her running mate, Senator John McCain, no fewer than six times, at one point calling him “the consummate maverick.�?
But to those who know the history of the word, applying it to Mr. McCain is a bit of a stretch — and to one Texas family in particular it is even a bit offensive.
“I’m just enraged that McCain calls himself a maverick,�? said Terrellita Maverick, 82, a San Antonio native who proudly carries the name of a family that has been known for its progressive politics since the 1600s, when an early ancestor in Boston got into trouble with the law over his agitation for the rights of indentured servants.
In the 1800s, Samuel Augustus Maverick went to Texas and became known for not branding his cattle. He was more interested in keeping track of the land he owned than the livestock on it, Ms. Maverick said; unbranded cattle, then, were called “Maverick’s.�? The name came to mean anyone who didn’t bear another’s brand. Oct 7, 2008