bison

Meaning

A large, wild bovid of the genus Bison.

Synonyms

buffalo

aurochs

American buffalo

American bison

american buffaloes

wild buffalo

wild cow

wisent

Buffalo

wild ox

Translations

bison

bisonte

🦬

Bison

🦬

bisão

🦬

bisonte

🦬

bizon

🦬

bisonte

🦬

Wisent

bisão-americano

auroque

bisão-europeu

βίσονας

bisó

بيسون

Pronounced as (IPA)

/ˈbaɪ̯sən/

Etymology

Inherited from Middle English: bison

Cognate with Old High German: wisunt

Cognate with German: Wisent

Cognate with Old English: wesend

Cognate with Middle Dutch: wesent

In summary

From Middle English bysontes, bysountes pl, from Middle French bison, from Latin bisōn, bisōnt- (“wild ox”).
The Latin term is recorded in the 1st century, likely a direct loan from Proto-Germanic *wisundaz (“wild ox, aurochs”) (see for full etymology). Akin to Old High German wisunt (“bison”), German Wisent (“bison”), Old English wesend, wusend (“bison, buffalo, wild ox”), Middle Dutch wēsent (“wild ox”). Doublet of wisent.