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The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 (gcide)

Bison \Bi"son\ (b[imac]"s[o^]n; 277), n. [L. bison, Gr. bi`swn,
a wild ox; akin to OHG. wisunt, wisant, G. wisent, AS.
wesend, Icel. v[imac]sundr: cf. F. bison.] (Zool.)
(a) The aurochs or European bison.
(b) The American bison buffalo ({Bison Americanus}), a large,
gregarious bovine quadruped with shaggy mane and short
black horns, which formerly roamed in herds over most of
the temperate portion of North America, but by 1900 was
restricted to very limited districts in the region of the
Rocky Mountains, and was almost hunted to extinction.

Note: Efforts at conservation of the American bison resulted
in setting aside several reserves, and by 1990 a few
stable herds were established, numbering from hundreds
to thousands, roaming certain public areas, such as
Yellowstone Park, some reserves in Canada, and some
private reserves. Some bison are kept as range animals
for food, and the American bison has been bred with
domestic cattle to form a cross called the {beefalo}.
The American bison is commonly (though improperly)
called a buffalo; an image of the bison appeared on the
inverse of the U. S. five-cent coin (nickel) from 1913
to 1937, and that coin was referred to as the {buffalo
nickel}.
[1913 Webster PJC]