bison
[ bahy-suh n, -zuh n ]
/ ˈbaɪ sən, -zən /
noun, plural bi·son.
Also called American bison, American buffalo.
a North American, oxlike ruminant, Bison bison, having a large head and high, humped shoulders: formerly common in North America, its small remaining population in isolated western areas of the U.S. and Canada is now protected.
Also called wisent.
a related animal, Bison bonasus, of Europe, less shaggy and slightly larger than the American bison: now greatly reduced in number.
Compare
buffalo.
Origin of bison
1350–1400; Middle English
bisontes (plural) < Latin (nominative singular
bisōn) < Germanic; compare Old High German
wisunt, Old English
wesend, Old Norse
visundr
OTHER WORDS FROM bison
bi·son·tine [bahy-suh n-tahyn, -zuh n-] /ˈbaɪ sənˌtaɪn, -zən-/, adjectiveWords nearby bison
bismuthosis,
bismuthous,
bismuthyl,
bismutite,
bisnaga,
bison,
bisphenoid,
bisphosphonate,
bisque,
bissau,
bissextile
Example sentences from the Web for bison
British Dictionary definitions for bison
bison
/ (ˈbaɪsən) /
noun plural -son
Also called: American bison, buffalo
a member of the cattle tribe, Bison bison, formerly widely distributed over the prairies of W North America but now confined to reserves and parks, with a massive head, shaggy forequarters, and a humped back
Also called: wisent, European bison
a closely related and similar animal, Bison bonasus, formerly widespread in Europe
Word Origin for bison
C14: from Latin
bisōn, of Germanic origin; related to Old English
wesand, Old Norse
vīsundr