buffalo
English meaning: Buffalo
Definition
Any of the Old World mammals of the family Bovidae, such as the Cape buffalo, Syncerus caffer, or the water buffalo Bubalus bubalis.
Example
“A huge herd of buffalo moved slowly across the open plain.”
Another example: “Farmers in the region keep water buffalo to plough the rice fields.”
Usage — When, Where & How
Neutral; a noun for the large wild bovine, and (in North America) loosely for the bison. Also a US place name (Buffalo, New York). The verb sense 'to buffalo' (to intimidate or confuse) is informal American English.
Etymology & Origin
English — Origin & History
From Portuguese or Italian 'bufalo', from Late Latin 'bufalus', from Greek 'boubalos' (antelope, wild ox); 16th century.
Synonyms
- bison bison
- old world buffalo
- american bison
- american buffalo
Related Words
- bills
- niagara
- bison
- bayou
- erie
- cody
- bandits
- rochester
- springfield
- hunters
Common Collocations
- water buffalo
- cape buffalo
- buffalo herd
- wild buffalo
- buffalo meat
- buffalo wings
Word Forms
buffalo (n); buffalo or buffaloes (pl)
Word Tools
Literary Heritage
“To thine own self be true, and it must follow, as the night the day, thou canst not then be false to any man.”
/To thine own self be true/
“Be honest with yourself — and as naturally as night follows day, you will be unable to be false to others.”
“I'm nobody! Who are you? Are you nobody, too?”
/I'm nobody! Who are you?/
“I am nobody — and that quiet anonymity is more honest than the noise of public fame.”
Images
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Language information
- Language
- English
- English
- Script
- Latin
- Family
- Indo-European
- Speakers
- 1.5B