Bison
Bison (noun) means a large, shaggy, wild ox-like mammal native to North America and parts of Europe. Example: “A herd of bison grazed across the open prairie.”
How to use Bison
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishThe large shaggy wild cattle-like animal often (loosely) called a buffalo in America.
In North America "bison" and "buffalo" are often used interchangeably, but true buffalo (water buffalo, Cape buffalo) are a different species found in Asia and Africa.
Word forms
bison plural, bisons plural, bisontes plural
Fill the gap
Can you complete this real example?
A herd of _____ grazed across the open prairie.
Etymology
From Latin bison ("wild ox"), likely itself borrowed from a Germanic word for the aurochs — making "bison" a distant relative of the word "wisent" (the European bison).
Rhymes for Bison
See all rhymes for Bison →Frequently asked questions
What does “Bison” mean?
The word “Bison” means a large, shaggy, wild ox-like mammal native to North America and parts of Europe. In plain terms, the large shaggy wild cattle-like animal often (loosely) called a buffalo in America.
How do you pronounce “Bison”?
“Bison” is pronounced BEYE-suhn (/ˈbaɪ̯sən/ in IPA).
How do you use “Bison” in a sentence?
Here is “Bison” used in a sentence: “A herd of bison grazed across the open prairie.”
What part of speech is “Bison”?
“Bison” is a noun.
Where does the word “Bison” come from?
The word “Bison” comes from Latin. From Latin bison ("wild ox"), likely itself borrowed from a Germanic word for the aurochs — making "bison" a distant relative of the word "wisent" (the European bison).
Is “Bison” a common word?
“Bison” is an uncommon word in modern English.