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

Grizzly bears also top the list in Idaho, Montana and Washington, and bison pose the greatest danger in South Dakota and Wyoming. — Bonny Chu, FOXNews.com, 3 Aug. 2026

As for dining options, Cafe Genevieve serves an excellent breakfast and brunch, and Million Dollar Cowboy Bar draws crowds for a taste of Western-style eats like bison burgers and elk sliders. — Cu Fleshman, Travel + Leisure, 3 Aug. 2026

The results showed that the bison was painted about 13,000 years ago, while different sections of the mask were created during different periods, some separated by thousands of years. — Anne Doran, ARTnews.com, 29 July 2026

Owner Bruno Neves uses bison instead of beef fat and also offers deodorants and coffee exfoliants. — Jenna Belhumeur, Los Angeles Times, 27 July 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