† n. — historical, transportation
horses taken on a cattle drive as replacement mounts.
Type: 2. Preservation — This term was important in the Prairie provinces, where horses were used in ranching. Cavvy is also used in the southern and western US, with citations dating back to 1824 (see DAE, s.v. "cavy-yard"). DARE (s.v. "caballada") provides 'cavayard' as a spelling variant, and cavvy is a corruption of this variant. This form was borrowed into Canadian English.
See also ITP Nelson, s.v. "cavvy" (1), which is marked "Western Canada; Western US", and DARE, s.v. "cavvy" and "caballada".
See also: Prairies
- The term is/was also used widely in the US but has, just like in the US, cultural significance in the settlement of parts of the country and history,, e.g. the Prairies.