buffalo

¹ American  

[buhf-uh-loh] / ˈbʌf əˌloʊ /

noun

PLURAL

buffaloes, buffalos,

PLURAL

buffalo

1. any of several large wild oxen of the family Bovidae.

2. buffalo robe.

3. a buffalofish.

4. a shuffling tap-dance step.

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verb (used with object)

Informal.

buffaloed, buffaloing

1. to puzzle or baffle; confuse; mystify.

   He was buffaloed by the problem.

2. to impress or intimidate by a display of power, importance, etc..

   The older boys buffaloed him.

Buffalo ² American  

[buhf-uh-loh] / ˈbʌf əˌloʊ /

noun

1. a port in W New York, on Lake Erie.

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Buffalo ¹ British  

/ ˈbʌfəˌləʊ /

noun

1. a port in W New York State, at the E end of Lake Erie. Pop: 285 018 (2003 est)

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buffalo ² British  

/ ˈbʌfəˌləʊ /

noun

1. 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

2. short for water buffalo

3. 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

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verb

1. (often passive) to confuse

2. to intimidate

Buffalo Cultural  

1. City in western New York, on Lake Erie and the Niagara River.

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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

Example Sentences

Cheyenne hunters supplied buffalo robes to trading companies.

From The Wall Street Journal

As a young father, Craig moved his family to the Northern Territories of Australia, where he wrangled “scrub bulls and buffalo” that had escaped from herds and needed to be sent to market.

From The Wall Street Journal

Judy, the first rabbit to join the city's police force, has proven to her macho colleagues — buffaloes, hippos, and warthogs — that she deserves her place in the investigative department.

From Barron's

He focused on rebuilding muscle mass, and followed a strict diet that included, among other things, grass-fed meats, Joolies dates and raw water buffalo milk he said he could only find in Amish stores.

From Los Angeles Times

Dr. Chagnaud first wanted to test this theory on buffalo at the Munich Zoo before he realized it would be far easier to use college students, who are generally more willing test subjects.

From New York Times

Related Words

• agitate
• bewilder
• chill
• confound
• daunt
• demoralize
• disconcert
• discourage
• dishearten
• dismay
• dispirit
• distract
• fluster
• frighten
• perturb
• rattle
• sap
• shake
• undermine
• unsettle