buffalo
buffalo Lexical Profile
buffalo Game Scores & Validity
• noun
North American The American bison (Bison bison), a large, shaggy-maned, humped bovine native to the grasslands and plains of North America.
"Huge herds of buffalo once roamed freely across the Great Plains of North America."
Any of several large, heavy-built Old World bovines of the family Bovidae, such as the Asian water buffalo or the African Cape buffalo, characterized by massive curved horns and sparse dark hair.
"The farmers in the river valley rely on domesticated water buffalo to plow their flooded rice paddies."
North American Any of several large, deep-bodied North American freshwater sucker fishes of the genus Ictiobus (family Catostomidae), having an arched back resembling a bison's hump.
"Anglers along the Mississippi River frequently catch large bigmouth buffalo in the slow-moving backwaters."
• verb
North American To overawe, intimidate, or baffle someone, often through a display of confidence, authority, or deception.
"The experienced negotiator refused to be buffaloed by the opposing team's aggressive demands."
Word Nuance & Usage
In strict zoological terms, true buffaloes are native to Asia and Africa, while the large North American animal commonly called a buffalo is scientifically classified as a bison; however, "buffalo" remains standard in everyday North American usage. The plural form can be "buffalo", "buffaloes", or "buffalos".
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
Borrowed in the late 16th century from Portuguese búfalo or Italian bufalo, from Late Latin bufalus, an Oscan-Umbrian variant of Latin bubalus, ultimately from Ancient Greek boubalos ("antelope" or "wild ox").
Usage Trend
Historical frequency of usage in published text.