bison

noun

bi·​son ˈbī-sᵊn  -zᵊn 

plural bison

: any of several large living or extinct bovine mammals (genus Bison) that have a long, broad head, short, hollow horns, heavy forequarters, a large muscular hump across the shoulders, and a shaggy mane on the head and lower neck and that typically live and migrate in herds: such as

a

: american bison

b

: european bison

bisontine

ˈbī-sᵊn-ˌtīn 

-zᵊn-

adjective

Examples of bison in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Smoked salmon mousse melts like silk; the Welcome Pot, a hearty stew of tepary beans, bison, and garden flowers, reminds me how food nourishes more than the body. —Carrie Honaker, Bon Appetit Magazine, 23 Apr. 2026

Crafty Buffalo is a taphouse and grill serving burgers, draft beers, and bison specialties. —Katie Riley, Southern Living, 21 Apr. 2026

Wild antelope prance freely while bison lazily graze in pastures. —Julia Sayers Gokhale, Midwest Living, 17 Apr. 2026

This week’s specials are a bison cheeseburger with prosciutto, or a taco salad with bacon and onion strings. —Bud Kennedy, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 15 Apr. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Latin bisont-, bison, of Germanic origin; akin to Old High German wisant aurochs; akin to Old Prussian wissambrs aurochs

First Known Use

circa 1611, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing bison

• American bison
• European bison
• plains bison
• wood bison

Rhymes for bison

• seisin
• actinomycin
• adriamycin
• aureomycin
• azithromycin
• clarithromycin
• erythromycin
• bleomycin
• clindamycin
• kanamycin
• lincomycin
• mitomycin

Kids Definition

bison

noun

bi·​son ˈbīs-ᵊn  ˈbīz- 

plural bison

: any of several large shaggy-maned mammals related to the ox with a large head, short horns, and a large fleshy hump above the shoulders

especially : buffalo sense c