bighorn sheep

noun

big·​horn sheep ˈbig-ˌhȯrn- 

variants or less commonly bighorn

plural bighorn sheep also bighorns or bighorn

: a usually grayish-brown wild sheep (Ovis canadensis) of mountainous and desert regions of western North America

Note: The bighorn sheep has a white patch on the rump and, in the males, massive horns that curve up and back over the ears and then up and forward toward the cheeks.

Illustration of bighorn sheep

Examples of bighorn sheep in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The park also has endangered great gray owls, peregrine falcons (the fastest animal on Earth), and Sierra bighorn sheep found at high elevations. —Carrie Dennis, Travel + Leisure, 26 May 2024

Visiting reminded me of my trip to Anza Borrego Desert State Park in March to see desert wildflowers and bighorn sheep. —Raul Roa, Los Angeles Times, 15 May 2024

The White Tank Mountains are home to a variety of wildlife, including mule deer, mountain lions, bobcats, javelinas, and, most recently, some bighorn sheep that have returned to the area. —Hayleigh Evans, The Arizona Republic, 13 May 2024

Concerned hunters and anglers fear that such a project would harm the Bitterroot’s world-class trout fishery and the area’s intact habitat for elk, mule deer, bighorn sheep, and other iconic Western game species. —Travis Hall, Field & Stream, 8 May 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1817, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

bighorn sheep

noun

big·​horn sheep ˈbig-ˌhȯrn- 

: a usually grayish brown wild sheep of mountainous western North America

called also bighorn, Rocky Mountain sheep