maverick

/ˈmævərɪk/

/ˈmævrɪk/

Other forms: mavericks

A maverick is a rebel, someone who shows a lot of independence. A maverick on a motorcycle might blaze her own trail, traveling around the country and earning money by performing in rodeos.

Samuel A. Maverick owned a lot of cattle, and he let them roam around Texas without a brand, or identification mark, seared into their skins. Samuel was a maverick for going against the common practice of tracking his animals, and his last name became part of the English language as both an adjective and a noun in the 19th century. Someone who acts very independently is a maverick, and individual actions that stand out are maverick, as in "her maverick jumping style on the ice was both wild and delicate."

Definitions of maverick

1. noun

   someone who exhibits great independence in thought and action
   synonyms: rebel

   type of:

   nonconformist, recusant

   someone who refuses to conform to established standards of conduct
2. noun

   an unbranded range animal (especially a stray calf); belongs to the first person who puts a brand on it
   type of:

   calf

   young of domestic cattle
3. adjective

   independent in behavior or thought
   “maverick politicians”

   synonyms: irregular, unorthodox

   unconventional

   not conforming to accepted rules or standards