Illustration of bighorn sheep
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.
Examples of bighorn sheep in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Possible sightings include elk, pronghorn, bighorn sheep and the resident bison roaming the park.
—
Lynn O'Rourke Hayes, Boston Herald, 16 Mar. 2025
There are only approximately 80,000 North American bighorn sheep on the continent currently — much less than the between 150,000 and 200,000 that existed before the 1800’s.
—Kimberlee Speakman, People.com, 6 Dec. 2024
Two Whales Freed from Life-Threatening Entanglements by Trained Rescue Responders in Hawaii
The latest sheep rescue also takes place just months after the Texas Parks and Wildlife shared a video of endangered desert bighorn sheep being airlifted in a relocation effort in December.
—Brenton Blanchet, People.com, 7 Mar. 2025
Warming in the Sierra Nevada was expected to decrease snow cover but kill bighorn sheep in avalanches at consistent or increased rates.
—Rafil Kroll-Zaidi, Harper's Magazine, 19 Feb. 2025
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Lynn O'Rourke Hayes, Boston Herald, 16 Mar. 2025
There are only approximately 80,000 North American bighorn sheep on the continent currently — much less than the between 150,000 and 200,000 that existed before the 1800’s.
—Kimberlee Speakman, People.com, 6 Dec. 2024
Two Whales Freed from Life-Threatening Entanglements by Trained Rescue Responders in Hawaii
The latest sheep rescue also takes place just months after the Texas Parks and Wildlife shared a video of endangered desert bighorn sheep being airlifted in a relocation effort in December.
—Brenton Blanchet, People.com, 7 Mar. 2025
Warming in the Sierra Nevada was expected to decrease snow cover but kill bighorn sheep in avalanches at consistent or increased rates.
—Rafil Kroll-Zaidi, Harper's Magazine, 19 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for bighorn sheep
Cite this Entry
“Bighorn sheep.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bighorn%20sheep. Accessed 5 May. 2025.
Copy CitationKids 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
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