bison
n. countablen. a very large, hairy wild animal that looks like a cow with a hump on its back. They live in large groups on grassy plains in North America and Europe.
n. a large, heavy-set wild bovid with a shaggy mane and a humped shoulder. Refers primarily to the North American species (Bison bison) or the European wisent (Bison bonasus).
The bison grazed peacefully on the open grass.
During our trip to the national park, we saw a massive bison standing right next to the road.
Conservation efforts have successfully reintroduced bison to several protected areas, allowing these keystone herbivores to restore the ecological balance of the native prairie through their grazing habits.
From Middle English bysontes, bysountes pl, from Middle French bison, from Latin bisōn, bisōnt- (“wild ox”). The Latin term is recorded in the 1st century, likely a direct loan from Proto-Germanic *wisundaz (“wild ox, aurochs”) (see for full etymology). Akin to Old High German wisunt (“bison”), German Wisent (“bison”), Old English wesend, wusend (“bison, buffalo, wild ox”), Middle Dutch wēsent (“wild ox”). Doublet of wisent.
The plural form can be either 'bison' or 'bisons', though the zero-plural 'bison' is more common in scientific and collective contexts.
a herd of buffaloesa herd of bisonWhile often used interchangeably in casual speech, 'bison' is the scientifically accurate name for the North American animal, which is distinct from the true buffalo of Africa and Asia.