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

Here's how far visitors should stay back from animals at Yellowstone, per NPS: Bison, elk, bighorn sheep, deer, moose and coyotes: Stay more than 25 yards, or 75 feet, away Bears, wolves and cougars: Stay at least 100 yards, or 300 feet, away How many bison are at Yellowstone? —Melina Khan, USA Today, 11 June 2025

It’s located within the Oak Creek Wildlife Area, where hundreds of elk and bighorn sheep gather for feedings each winter. —Laura Kiniry, Smithsonian Magazine, 9 June 2025

Bison, elk, bighorn sheep, marmots, beaver and chipmunks are some of Colorado’s most familiar fauna. —Jonathan Shikes, Denver Post, 2 June 2025

In a single year, market hunters in Bozeman, Mont. shipped out the body parts of about 7,700 elk, 22,000 deer, 12,000 pronghorns, 200 bighorn sheep, 1,680 wolves, 520 coyotes, and 225 bears at the time. —Dan Flores, Time, 29 May 2025

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