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

Once while taking a snack break, my friend and I heard rocks moving on a nearby hillside and soon spotted three bighorn sheep. —Jaclyn Cosgrove, Los Angeles Times, 5 Dec. 2024

In June, the company announced a multi-year sponsorship with the Orioles, including jersey patches with the firm’s bighorn sheep logo on the club’s uniforms and T. Rowe Price signage above the center field scoreboard. —Baltimore Sun Staff, Baltimore Sun, 10 Oct. 2024

Of course, not everyone will find so much to admire, especially when that sparse grass is coveted by cattle on the public range and by desert bighorn sheep, to name just two species in competition with Arizona’s burros. —Shaun McKinnon, The Arizona Republic, 22 Jan. 2024

Winter is also a much less crowded time to visit and a great time to spot wildlife like wolves and bighorn sheep. —Alison Fox, Travel + Leisure, 31 Oct. 2024

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