bighorn sheep

noun

big·​horn sheep ˈbig-ˌhȯrn- 

variants or less commonly bighorn

plural bighorn sheep also bighorns or bighorn

: a usually grayish-brown wild sheep (Ovis canadensis) of mountainous and desert regions of western North America

Note: The bighorn sheep has a white patch on the rump and, in the males, massive horns that curve up and back over the ears and then up and forward toward the cheeks.

Illustration of bighorn sheep

Examples of bighorn sheep in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Mountains rim blue-sky horizons, and scrub brush scattered across the rocky desert hills sustain mule deer, bighorn sheep and other wildlife. —Alex Wigglesworth, Los Angeles Times, 7 Feb. 2025

There are mountains, deserts, swamps, coral reefs, and islands, plus a wide array of wildlife — from the elk and pronghorn in Grand Teton National Park to the tortoises and bighorn sheep in Joshua Tree. —Lydia Mansel, Travel + Leisure, 29 Jan. 2025

Fifty rare plant and animal species are native to the region, including the desert bighorn sheep and the Chuckwalla lizard. —Julia Jacobo, ABC News, 7 Jan. 2025

The eye-candy route through the Gallatin Canyon is full of wildlife like eagles and deer, elk, and bighorn sheep herds. —Wendy Altschuler, Forbes, 17 Jan. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1817, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

bighorn sheep

noun

big·​horn sheep ˈbig-ˌhȯrn- 

: a usually grayish brown wild sheep of mountainous western North America

called also bighorn, Rocky Mountain sheep