buffalo
1 Americannoun
plural
buffaloes, buffalos,plural
buffalo-
any of several large wild oxen of the family Bovidae.
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a buffalofish.
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a shuffling tap-dance step.
verb (used with object)
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to puzzle or baffle; confuse; mystify.
He was buffaloed by the problem.
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to impress or intimidate by a display of power, importance, etc..
The older boys buffaloed him.
noun
noun
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Also called: Cape buffalo. a member of the cattle tribe, Syncerus caffer , mostly found in game reserves in southern and eastern Africa and having upward-curving horns
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short for water buffalo
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Also called: bison. 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
verb
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(often passive) to confuse
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to intimidate
noun
Discover More
Niagara Falls is northwest of Buffalo.
Etymology
Origin of buffalo
1535–45, earlier bufalo < Portuguese (now bufaro ) < Late Latin būfalus, variant of Latin būbalus bubal
Explanation
A buffalo is a large, ox-like animal with horns and shaggy fur. In North America, a buffalo is another name for a bison. There are various types of buffalo around the world, including South Asia's water buffalo and the African buffalo, but the bison is the most well-known type of buffalo in the U.S. You can also use the word as a verb, meaning "to intimidate," and when it's capitalized, Buffalo is a city in New York state. These various meanings have resulted in the longest sentence in English that uses only one word: "Buffalo buffalo Buffalo buffalo buffalo buffalo Buffalo buffalo" meaning — Buffalonian (1) buffalos (2) that other Buffalonian (3) buffalos (4) scare (5) also scare (6) other Buffalonian (7) buffalos (8).
Vocabulary lists containing buffalo
In a Pickle: Words for When You're in Trouble
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A Vocabulary Bestiary: Animals That Behave as Verbs
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Amazing Animals, List 1
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
This was a year after her sister had asked, with cameras rolling, whether a can of Chicken of the Sea contained tuna or chicken, and whether Buffalo wings were made out of buffalo.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 2, 2026
Kruger's fauna -- including the famed Big Five grouping of elephant, rhino, lion, leopard and buffalo -- had largely escaped the flooding because animals had sensed the danger and moved to higher lying areas.
From Barron's • Jan. 22, 2026
Cheyenne hunters supplied buffalo robes to trading companies.
From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 30, 2025
Lodge guests might encounter an occasional buffalo while walking beside tall pine trees.
From BBC • Jul. 14, 2025
In spite of the intense cold, Crazy Horse tossed off his buffalo robe so he could handle his weapons more easily.
From "In the Footsteps of Crazy Horse" by Joseph Marshall III
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
