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

Locals call it one of the last truly wild places in Texas, where quail, elk and desert bighorn sheep roam. —Lauren Villagran, USA Today, 28 Feb. 2026

Watch for the park’s abundant wildlife, which includes bighorn sheep, bison, elk, moose, deer, black bears, coyotes, and mountain lions. —Patricia Doherty, Travel + Leisure, 19 Feb. 2026

Federal officials plan to seal off the border in a remote stretch of desert where endangered bighorn sheep have long crossed between Mexico and California. —Lila Seidman, Los Angeles Times, 1 Feb. 2026

Crews on Colorado's Western Slope rescued a Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep that fell through the ice on the Taylor River. —Jennifer McRae, CBS News, 28 Jan. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1817, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for bighorn sheep

• asleep
• upkeep
• beep
• cheap
• creep
• deep
• heap
• jeep
• keep
• leap
• peep
• reap

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