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

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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

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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

See Examples For:

bison

Meanwhile, Doug has made a confession that haunts the men as they follow a pregnant bison onto an unstable glacier.

From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 2, 2026

"That is much easier for the animals to understand," said Deforge, who tells his bison "Molodets!"

From Barron's ● Oct. 14, 2026

First displayed to the public during an "open rehearsal" four months after their arrival, the bison have so far only appeared in summer shows held in a small tent in a Moscow park.

From Barron's ● Oct. 14, 2026

While only 80,000 bison are harvested in a year—the beef industry processes more cattle in a day—that scarcity has pushed bison prices to record highs, often nearly double those of beef.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 2, 2026

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

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