bighorn

¹

[big-hawrn]

noun

plural

bighorns ,

plural

bighorn .

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

Bighorn

²

[big-hawrn]

noun

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

bighorn

/ ˈbɪɡˌhɔːn /

noun

1. 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

Word History and Origins

Origin of bighorn¹

An Americanism dating back to 1775–85; big ¹ + horn

Example Sentences

Myers’ vision for the area included reintroducing animals that had once been native inhabitants, including tule elk and bighorn sheep, and obliterating man-made intrusions, such as a rock quarry, petroleum waste pits, fences and roads.

From Los Angeles Times

The carvings depict bighorn sheep, bisected circles and at one site, a miner swinging a pickax.

From Los Angeles Times

Besides its namesake, the Chuckwalla lizard, the area is home to bighorn sheep, desert tortoises, kangaroo rats, burrowing owls and jackrabbits.

From Los Angeles Times

The monument’s name comes from the stocky Chuckwalla lizards that frequent the area, which is also home to bighorn sheep, desert tortoises, kangaroo rats, burrowing owls and jackrabbits.

From Los Angeles Times

Wild inhabitants include vulnerable bighorn sheep and desert tortoises, as well as the stocky Chuckwalla lizard that enjoys basking in the sun.

From Los Angeles Times