Buffalo

Part of speech: noun, verb

Pronunciation: /ˈbʌf.əl.əʊ/

Definitions

1. A large, shaggy mammal native to North America also called bison ; to overwhelm or perplex someone by forceful or aggressive behavior ; a city located in western New York state known for its history and waterfront
2. A North American wild ox with heavy fur and massive horns ; to bully or confuse through aggressive or deceptive manner ; an urban area in New York recognized for its cultural and economic importance
3. A wild bison species characterized by its size and thick coat ; to bewilder or overpower a person using assertive or spirited tactics ; a city on the shore of Lake Erie famous for its industrial heritage

Etymology: The Greek word "boubalos" was the name for an antelope or wild ox, and it was a word that travelled a long way before it reached English. Greek speakers used it for the animal, and Latin carried it over as "bubalus" and later "bufalus," with the same meaning. Romance languages then kept the form, giving Portuguese and Spanish "búfalo," and English borrowed the word from one of them. The modern noun is a bit of a mismatch with its ancestry. The Latin and Greek names were applied to some kind of antelope or ox, not to the North American bison that most English speakers picture when they say "buffalo." English applied the name to the new animal, which was unfamiliar in Europe, and the older sense of a bovine-like beast remained in the background. The word is a doublet of "bubale" and "buffle," which are both older borrowings of the same Latin source, so English ended up with three separate forms from one ancient name.

Synonyms: bison, cape buffalo, water buffalo, American buffalo