bison

American  

[bahy-suhn, -zuhn] / ˈbaɪ sən, -zən /

noun

plural

bison

1. 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.

2. Also called wisent.  a related animal, Bison bonasus, of Europe, less shaggy and slightly larger than the American bison: now greatly reduced in number.

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bison British  

/ ˈbaɪsən /

noun

1. 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

2. Also called: wisent.   European bison.  a closely related and similar animal, Bison bonasus , formerly widespread in Europe

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Other Word Forms

• bisontine adjective

Etymology

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

Example Sentences

When the birds arrive in the dozens, that can make even a downed bison disappear quickly, Marzluff said.

From Barron's • Mar. 12, 2026

Herds of elephants, bison, and aurochs roamed freely.

From Science Daily • Feb. 12, 2026

Take a stroll on the surrounding boardwalk for glimpses of snow-covered bison.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 23, 2026

Their plans include bringing in large herbivores including ponies, hardy cattle and eventually even bison to graze the land naturally, and there are hopes pine martens, beavers and golden eagles could recolonise the landscape.

From BBC • Oct. 29, 2025

But the most important information that needed to be conveyed was about humans, not about lions and bison.

From "Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind" by Yuval Noah Harari