DictionaryAI

buffalo

SayBUF-uh-loh/ˈbʌf.ə.loʊ//ˈbʌf.əl.əʊ/

Pluralbuffaloes, buffalos, buffalo

Verbbuffaloes, buffaloing, buffaloed

13 meanings of buffalo

Practice

  1. 1
    Old World oxnouncountable
    A big animal with large horns, such as the Cape buffalo or the water buffalo.

    In the rice field, a buffalo was pulling a heavy plow.

    Wild buffaloes rested under a tree on the hot African plain.

    Note
  2. 2
    American bisonnouncountable
    The American bison, a wild animal from North America.

    We saw a buffalo eating grass on the prairie in Wyoming.

    Long ago, huge herds of buffalo moved across the American plains.

    Similarbison

  3. 3
    trickverbslangUStransitive
    To trick, confuse, or frighten someone, or to beat them by being smarter.

    He tried to buffalo me with big words, but I asked him to explain them.

    The scammer buffaloed my grandma into buying gift cards.

    Similarintimidate, bully, browbeat, cow, bulldoze

    Note
  4. 4
    fishnouncountable
    A kind of fish, also called a buffalo fish.

    My uncle caught a big buffalo while fishing in the river.

    Through the clear water, we could see a buffalo feeding near the bottom of the lake.

  5. 5
    gold coinnounabbreviationellipsis
    Short for American buffalo. A gold coin made by the US Mint that people buy for its gold.

    Grandpa keeps a gold buffalo in his safe.

    She sold her buffalo when the price of gold went up.

    Note
  6. 6
    fur blanketnounUSabbreviationellipsis
    Short for buffalo robe. A bison skin with the fur still on, used as a blanket.

    On the cold sleigh ride, we stayed warm under a thick buffalo.

    The trader sold him a warm buffalo with all its fur still on.

    Note
  7. 7
    go huntingverbintransitive
    To go out and hunt buffalo.

    My great-grandfather went buffaloing with his brothers every fall.

    The men planned to buffalo near the river until the snow came.

  8. 8
    big lumpnounslangderogatorycountable
    A rude name for a big person or a stupid person.

    Move over, you buffalo, you're taking up the whole couch!

    He called his brother a buffalo for locking the keys in the car again.

    Similaroaf, lummox, idiot

    Note
  9. 9
    fat womannounslangderogatorycountable
    A rude, unkind name for a very fat person, usually a woman.

    Don't call your sister a buffalo just because she put on some weight.

    He made a joke about the buffalo in the red dress, and nobody laughed.

  10. 10
    five-cent coinnounslangUScountable
    A nickel, a US coin worth five cents.

    I only had a buffalo and two pennies in my pocket.

    He found a shiny buffalo on the sidewalk and put it in his piggy bank.

    Similarnickel

  11. 11
    Civil War thiefnounslanghistoricalUScountable
    A person who stole things from others during the American Civil War.

    During the Civil War, a buffalo stole the family's chickens and their only horse.

    During the war, gangs of buffaloes raided the farms along the river.

    Similarlooter, marauder

    Note
  12. 12
    racist insultnounslangderogatoryoffensive
    A hurtful, racist word for a Black man.

Less common meaning

  1. 13
    hit with gunverbarchaictransitive
    To hit someone hard with a gun, usually on the head.

    The sheriff buffaloed the angry man with the side of his gun.

    He walked arrogant and scornful among the Texans and cavalrymen whom he hazed and buffaloed with the barrels of his guns when they got out of line.
    1975, Cliff Farrell, The Mighty LandHere, buffaloed means hit people over the head with a gun.
    Note

Practice

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Origin

From Portuguese or Spanish búfalo, which goes back to a Greek word for a wild ox or antelope.