noun
Uncommon
Bison
BEYE-suhn
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.”
noun
1
A large, shaggy, wild ox-like mammal native to North America and parts of Europe.
"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.
Common mistake
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.
Easily confused with
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Word forms
- Plural
- bisons, bisontes
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.
