buffalo
noun
any of several large wild oxen of the family Bovidae.
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buffalo
1 American
[buhf-uh-loh]
/ ˈbʌf əˌloʊ /
noun
buffaloes,
plural
buffalos,
plural
buffalo
plural
-
any of several large wild oxen of the family Bovidae.
-
a buffalofish.
-
a shuffling tap-dance step.
verb (used with object)
Informal.
buffalos,
present (3rd person singular)
buffaloed,
past participle, past
buffaloing
present participle
-
to puzzle or baffle; confuse; mystify.
He was buffaloed by the problem.
-
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
Buffalo
1
British
/ ˈbʌfəˌləʊ /
noun
buffalo
2
British
/ ˈbʌfəˌləʊ /
noun
-
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
-
short for water buffalo
-
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
-
(often passive) to confuse
-
to intimidate
Buffalo
Cultural
Discover More
Niagara Falls is northwest of Buffalo.
Other Word Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
buffalosimple
-
buffalossimple
-
have buffaloedperfect
-
has buffaloedperfect
-
am buffaloingprogressive
-
are buffaloingprogressive
-
is buffaloingprogressive
-
have been buffaloingperfect progressive
-
has been buffaloingperfect progressive
Past
-
buffaloedsimple
-
had buffaloedperfect
-
was buffaloingprogressive
-
were buffaloingprogressive
-
had been buffaloingperfect progressive
Future
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
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
A Vocabulary Bestiary: Animals That Behave as Verbs
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
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.
See Examples For:
Devotees swear by the beer-battered mahi mahi tacos, but with salads, buffalo meatloaf and half-pound burgers also on offer, there’s something for everyone in the car.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 6, 2026
But it works just as well with buffalo sauce, Caesar-style toppings, or something more traditional with salsa and lime.
From Salon ● May 22, 2026
He has denied wrongdoing, and said the money came from the legitimate sale of buffalo from his farming business.
From BBC ● May 11, 2026
My Domino’s order is a small pepperoni, pineapple, olives and sausage slice ... hand tossed, cheesed up, and then I will get a side of garlic knots and a side of buffalo wings with ranch.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 6, 2026
Milked mammals include the cow, sheep, goat, horse, reindeer, water buffalo, yak, and Arabian and Bactrian camels.
From "Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies" by Jared M. Diamond
Ruth Buffalo, who served in the North Dakota House of Representatives from 2019-2022, originally won with the DSA’s endorsement.
From Salon ● Jul. 26, 2026
He played one season with the 49ers and had stints with the Kansas City Chiefs, Las Vegas Raiders and Buffalo Bills, according to his NFL stats.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 25, 2026
He is now standing trial on terrorism charges before a federal court in Buffalo, in northwestern New York.
From Barron's ● Jul. 23, 2026
Millions of people are under advisories in Boston, New York City, Philadelphia and as far west as Buffalo, New York, through Wednesday.
From BBC ● Jul. 14, 2026
“These fires burning off the old grass,” he observed, “in the ensuing Spring & Summer makes excellent fine sweet feed for the Horses & Buffalo, &c.”
From "1491" by Charles C. Mann
Her father, a club cricketer and clerk at the district court, sold milk from the family's four buffaloes to support the household.
From BBC ● Nov. 6, 2025
Faced with poaching and the gradual destruction of their natural habitats, big mammals have largely disappeared, according to the survey which underlined the need to protect chimpanzees, buffaloes and elephants.
From Barron's ● Oct. 25, 2025
The buffaloes were being chased by lions in neighbouring Botswana when they "fell from a deep cliff" into the Chobe River on the Namibian side of the border, it added in a statement.
From BBC ● Sep. 23, 2025
It illustrates the complex web of interactions among ants, trees, elephants, lions, zebras and buffaloes.
From Science Daily ● Jan. 25, 2024
Their dad was the god of thieves, but they were about as stealthy as water buffaloes.
From "The Battle of the Labyrinth" by Rick Riordan
"The Ministry will contribute 723 animals comprising 30 hippos, 60 buffalos, 50 impalas, 100 blue wilderbeast, 300 zebras, 83 elephants and 100 elands," the Namibian Ministry of Environment, Forestry and Tourism said in a statement.
From Salon ● Aug. 30, 2024
This includes the taurine cattle found primarily in Europe and temperate areas of Asia; indicine cattle, or zebus, found primarily in India and tropical areas of Asia; and water buffalos in East and Southeast Asia.
From Science Daily ● Dec. 13, 2023
The family is from Ibrash, in the agricultural Nile Delta province of Sharqia, where water buffalos, cows and donkeys share dirt roads with cars, motorbikes and three-wheeled rickshaws known as tuk-tuks.
From Washington Times ● Jun. 19, 2023
He says the amount stolen was $580,000 - and that he got it for selling buffalos.
From BBC ● Dec. 2, 2022
In the fields, gray buffalos and brown cows graze lazily on the grass.
From "First They Killed My Father: A Daughter of Cambodia Remembers" by Loung Ung
When was the last time you looked at the exquisite list of synonyms for the word “baffled”? They may be among the best in the English language: puzzled, nonplused, discombobulated, flummoxed, stumped, fogged, wildered, buffaloed.
From New York Times ● Feb. 29, 2024
"Don’t be buffaloed by experts and elites," he said.
From Fox News ● Oct. 19, 2021
Laurie thinks she’s got Angela buffaloed, and then Angela comes back and basically cuts her legs from under her.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 3, 2019
“You probably could have buffaloed people 10 years ago,” said Sassa.
From Time ● Feb. 18, 2015
Despite this, Dasch confidently assured them that he had "buffaloed" the man.
From Nazi Saboteurs by Samantha Seiple
When it comes to buffaloing the opposite side, that's my long suit.
From The Outlet by Adams, Andy
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.
