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Definition of american bison
american bison
Plural:American bison
• 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
Usage Trend
Historical frequency of usage in published text.
180019102020
Data source: Google Books Ngram Viewer
Cite this Entry
Wordmom. (2026). Definition of American bison. In Wordmom Dictionary. Retrieved Nov 5, 2026, from https://wordmom.com/dictionary/american-bison