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Definition of american bison
american bison
Plural:American bison
american bison Lexical Profile
CEFR
B2
Grade
4
Tier
2
Usage
Top 10k
• noun
1
North American A large, heavily built bovine mammal native to North America, characterized by a shaggy, dark brown winter coat, a massive head, and a prominent shoulder hump.
Example
"Millions of American bison once roamed the Great Plains in massive herds before overhunting nearly drove the species to extinction in the late 19th century."
Synonyms
View all synonyms for american bisonWord Nuance & Usage
Though commonly referred to as a 'buffalo' in colloquial North American English, the American bison is anatomically distinct from true buffalo species found in Africa and Asia.
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
A compound of 'American' and 'bison'. 'Bison' comes from the Latin 'bison' (wild ox), which was borrowed from a Germanic or Baltic source.
Cite this Entry
Wordmom. (2026). Definition of American bison. In Wordmom Dictionary. Retrieved Oct 12, 2026, from https://wordmom.com/dictionary/american bison