bighorn

[ big-hawrn ]

/ ˈbɪgˌhɔrn /

Save This Word!

noun, plural big·horns, (especially collectively) big·horn.

a wild sheep, Ovis canadensis, of the Rocky Mountains, with large, curving horns.

QUIZ

QUIZ YOURSELF ON "IS" VS. "ARE"

"Is" it time for a new quiz? "Are" you ready? Then prove your excellent skills on using "is" vs. "are."

Question 1 of 7

IS and ARE are both forms of which verb?

have

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Also called cimarron, Rocky Mountain bighorn, Rocky Mountain sheep.

Origin of bighorn

An Americanism dating back to 1775–85; big¹ + horn

Words nearby bighorn

bighead, big head, have a, big-hearted, big hitter, big hook, bighorn, Bighorn Mountains, big house, bight, big idea, big Ike

Other definitions for bighorn (2 of 2)

Bighorn

[ big-hawrn ]

/ ˈbɪgˌhɔrn /

noun

a river flowing from central Wyoming to the Yellowstone River in S Montana. 336 miles (540 km) long.

How to use bighorn in a sentence

“We found that sheep completely avoided where skiers go, even if those places were suitable bighorn sheep habitat,” she says.
In the Tetons, Backcountry Skiers Might Have to Sacrifice Their Terrain to Bighorn Sheep|lwhelan|November 5, 2021|Outside Online
So that we continue to have grizzly bears and moose and bighorn sheep, as well as the ability to come to the park and see those and derive inspiration and joy.
Climate Change Is Ravaging Our National Parks|awise|October 7, 2021|Outside Online
As the highest road in Oregon climbs Steens’s lush slopes, you may spot bighorn sheep, wild horses, and antelope.
5 of the American West’s Most Iconic Roads|kklein|August 8, 2021|Outside Online
Take your time viewing the glaciers, then continue to the open meadows to spy bighorn sheep.
Ten Ideal Hikes for the Solo Adventurer|syadron|July 30, 2021|Outside Online

You might spot ringtail cats, javelinas, coatimundis, bighorn sheep, and over 200 species of birds.
The Ultimate Guide to Arizona Public Lands|Outside Editors|April 1, 2021|Outside Online
I took the remote control and found a nature channel, where bighorn sheep collided against each other in alpine meadows.
To Shoot or Not to Shoot|Edward Conlon|April 14, 2011|DAILY BEAST
And they made a great noise when Bighorn said, “You will soon be very good trappers.”
The Later Cave-Men|Katharine Elizabeth Dopp
But Chipper was a bright young man, and he found a way of using a spear-noose so that he could throw as well as Bighorn.
The Later Cave-Men|Katharine Elizabeth Dopp
Bighorn, who was still the leader, sent Little-bear to watch where the trail crossed the hills.
The Later Cave-Men|Katharine Elizabeth Dopp
And when Bighorn nodded his head, Fleetfoot told the people the story of how he and Flaker had worked and played together.
The Later Cave-Men|Katharine Elizabeth Dopp
We had a great feast in the evening—roast bighorn ribs, broiled trout, a quantity of blueberries, and so on.
Blackfeet Tales of Glacier National Park|James Willard Schultz

British Dictionary definitions for bighorn

bighorn

/ (ˈbɪɡˌhɔːn) /

noun plural -horns or -horn

a large wild sheep, Ovis canadensis, inhabiting mountainous regions in North America and NE Asia: family Bovidae, order Artiodactyla . The male has massive curved horns, and the species is well adapted for climbing and leaping

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012