bison

noun

bi·​son ˈbī-sᵊn How to pronounce bison (audio) -zᵊn How to pronounce bison (audio)
plural bison
: any of several large living or extinct bovine mammals (genus Bison) that have a long, broad head, short, hollow horns, heavy forequarters, a large muscular hump across the shoulders, and a shaggy mane on the head and lower neck and that typically live and migrate in herds: such as
bisontine adjective

Examples of bison in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
American bison were native to Florida for thousands of years, until land development and hunting led to their demise. Lisa Cericola, Southern Living, 31 Oct. 2024 Choose from bison tartare, cucumber soup, chicken schnitzel, caviar, or a number of other seasonal favorites. Wendy Altschuler, Forbes, 25 Sep. 2024 Dig in: Chef Sundas is known for playful dishes like Daru's black daal with creamy burrata and bison momo from his native Nepal. Anna Spiegel, Axios, 23 Sep. 2024 For their 20th anniversary, her husband gave her a Playmobil hospital, and for Mother's Day, her son bought her a rare Playmobil bison. Claire Reid, Journal Sentinel, 9 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for bison 

Word History

Etymology

Latin bisont-, bison, of Germanic origin; akin to Old High German wisant aurochs; akin to Old Prussian wissambrs aurochs

First Known Use

circa 1611, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of bison was circa 1611

Dictionary Entries Near bison

Cite this Entry

“Bison.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bison. Accessed 13 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

bison

noun
plural bison
: any of several large shaggy-maned mammals related to the ox with a large head, short horns, and a large fleshy hump above the shoulders
especially : buffalo sense c

More from Merriam-Webster on bison

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