puncher vs cowboy

puncher and cowboy both are nouns.

Word	Noun	Adjective	Verb	Adverb
puncher	Yes	No	No	No
cowboy	Yes	No	No	No

As nouns, cowboy is a hyponym of puncher; that is, cowboy is a word with a more specific, narrower meaning than puncher:

puncher: a hired hand who tends cattle and performs other duties on horseback
cowboy: a male hired hand who tends cattle and performs other duties on horseback

Other hyponyms of puncher include buckaroo, buckeroo, vaquero, cowgirl, gaucho, horse wrangler, wrangler, roper, cattleman, cowman.

puncher (noun)	cowboy (noun)
a tool for making holes or indentations	someone who is reckless or irresponsible (especially in driving vehicles)
a hired hand who tends cattle and performs other duties on horseback	a performer who gives exhibitions of riding and roping and bulldogging
someone who delivers punches	a male hired hand who tends cattle and performs other duties on horseback