Maverick

Pronunciation

• enPR: măvʹər-Ä­k, IPA: /ˈmævəɹɪk/

Origin

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".

Full definition of maverick

Adjective

1. Showing independence in thoughts or actions.He made a maverick decision.He is a maverick person.

Noun

1. An unbranded range animal.
• Around 1900, O Henry, Long Bill was a graduate of the camp and trail. Luck and thrift, a cool head, and a telescopic eye for mavericks had raised him from cowboy to be a cowman.
2. One who does not abide by rules.
3. One who creates or uses unconventional and/or controversial ideas or practices.Florence Nightingale would have been perceived as a maverick during her early career, because she was prioritizing hygiene when everybody else involved in healthcare was focused on other things, such as surgery and pills. (Source: Edzard Ernst and Simon Singh, Trick or Treatment, 2008, p. 36-37.)
4. (poker slang) A queen and a jack as a starting hand in Texas hold ’em

Synonyms

• (one who does not abide by rules) individualist, lone gunman, nonconformist, rebel