bison
noun
- genus of mammals
Wiktionary
Pronunciation: /ˈbaɪ̯sən/
name
- A city and town in Kansas.
- A town, the county seat of Perkins County, South Dakota.
noun
Etymology: 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.
- A large, wild bovid of the genus Bison.