bison
UK[ˈbaɪs(ə)n]US[ˈbaɪsən]
n
a large, wild animal of the cattle family that has long hair and a big head with short horns
Etymology
the word 'bison' entered english in the early 14th century from latin, where it referred to the european wild ox. the latin term itself was a loan from a germanic language, possibly reflecting the proto-germanic root 'wisund-'. this germanic root is thought to be of balto-slavic origin, ultimately tracing back to the proto-indo-european root 'weiḱ-', meaning 'to bend' or 'to wind', perhaps describing the animal's powerful, curved horns. the term was later applied to the similar north american animal upon european contact, solidifying its modern meaning as the large, shaggy-maned bovine of both continents.
Analysis
the word is a simplex loanword. it is derived from latin 'bison', which itself was borrowed from a germanic source, likely related to old high german 'wisunt' or old norse 'vísundr'.
Examples
a herd of bison grazed peacefully on the great plains.
the american bison is a symbol of the wild west.
conservation efforts have helped the european bison population recover.