wisent

noun

wi·​sent ˈvē-ˌzent 

plural wisents

: a bison (Bison bonasus) of European forests that has golden to dark brown dense fur and is slightly smaller in size than the related American bison : european bison

Illustration of wisent

Examples of wisent in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The forest, part of it contained within a national park, is also home to the largest colony of European bison, or wisent, as well as to species that are rare or even extinct elsewhere. —Joanna Berendt, New York Times, 20 Feb. 2018

Should wisent be revitalized using American bison as breeding stock? —Lorraine Boissoneault, Smithsonian, 31 Mar. 2017

European bison, also known as wisent, are listed as vulnerable, or at risk of extinction, by the International Union for Conservation of Nature, whose Red List is the world’s most comprehensive inventory of threatened plant and animal species. —Christine Hauser, New York Times, 20 Sep. 2017

But his work creating aurochs and wisent for Göring shared the same conclusion as other Nazi projects. —Lorraine Boissoneault, Smithsonian, 31 Mar. 2017

But his work creating aurochs and wisent for Göring shared the same conclusion as other Nazi projects. —Lorraine Boissoneault, Smithsonian, 31 Mar. 2017

Word History

Etymology

German, from Old High German wisant — more at bison

First Known Use

1866, in the meaning defined above