bison

American  

[bahy-suhn, -zuhn] / ˈbaɪ sən, -zən /

noun

bison plural

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

Derived Forms

• bisontine
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• bison
  plural

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

Explanation

A bison is a large, shaggy, hoofed animal. Bison are mostly native to North America, though there is one species found in Western Europe and Central Asia. The most common type of bison is also called a buffalo, and it's the largest land animal in North America. Bison tend to travel in herds and periodically wallow in dirt to keep themselves cool and free of parasites, and while they're generally slow-moving, they can run as fast as 35 miles per hour when they want to. The word bison is Latin for "wild ox," ultimately from a Slavic or Baltic root meaning "the stinking animal."

Example Sentences

"Bison hunting activity was not simply following prey populations."

From Science Daily • Jun. 11, 2026

This new small worker city—rows of modular units and RV spaces—could rise minutes from the Bison Crossing neighborhood, where the Higginses live.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 9, 2026

Young, who is also chief investment officer at oil-and-gas investment firm Bison Interests, called current oil-supply disruptions “unprecedented” for a market where even a 1 million-barrel-per-day deficit or surplus can materially influence prices.

From MarketWatch • May 5, 2026

Bison populations were already in steep decline by the mid-1800s, but after the Civil War, as industrialization transformed transportation, communication and mass production, the U.S.

From Salon • Oct. 28, 2024

Bison can run for hours at thirty miles per hour and use their massive, horned skulls like battering rams.

From "1491" by Charles C. Mann