bighorn

¹ American  

[big-hawrn] / ˈbɪgˌhɔrn /

noun

plural

bighorns,

plural

bighorn

1. a wild sheep, Ovis canadensis, of the Rocky Mountains, with large, curving horns.

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Bighorn ² American  

[big-hawrn] / ˈbɪgˌhɔrn /

noun

1. a river flowing from central Wyoming to the Yellowstone River in S Montana. 336 miles (540 km) long.

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bighorn British  

/ ˈbɪɡˌhɔːn /

noun

1. a large wild sheep, Ovis canadensis , inhabiting mountainous regions in North America and NE Asia: family Bovidae , order Artiodactyla . The male has massive curved horns, and the species is well adapted for climbing and leaping

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Etymology

Origin of bighorn

An Americanism dating back to 1775–85; big ¹ + horn

Example Sentences

Not unlike a bighorn, she handily scrambled up the craggy slope it stretched over.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 1, 2026

Here, in the Jacumba Wilderness, people are halted at the border by federal agents, but Peninsular bighorn sheep have long migrated back and forth.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 1, 2026

For example, when hiking in Cucamonga, you might spot bighorn sheep, while Magic Mountain is occasionally host to a California condor passing through.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 29, 2025

Hunters want more deer, “and if someone can’t snap their fingers and make that happen, it’s frustrating” for them, said Stephenson, the state Department of Fish and Wildlife bighorn recovery leader.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 10, 2025

Akira was so surprised she almost jumped out of her saddle, but like the other animals, the bighorn sheep barely noticed that she and Dodger were there.

From "Two Degrees" by Alan Gratz