Definition

1. Noun:

   • A large, wild animal of the cattle family: This refers to several species of large bovines. The term can specifically denote the African Cape buffalo, the Asian water buffalo, or the North American bison (colloquially called buffalo).
   • The meat from a North American bison: The flesh of this animal, used as food.
   • A city in the United States: A city located in western New York State, on Lake Erie.

2. Verb:

   • To intimidate, confuse, or overawe someone: To make someone feel nervous, confused, or frightened, often through pressure or impressive power.

Usage Examples

• Noun (Animal):
  • We saw a herd of buffalo grazing on the plains.
  • The water buffalo is an important working animal in many parts of Asia.
• Noun (Meat):
  • The restaurant serves a delicious buffalo burger.
• Noun (City):
  • Buffalo is known for its heavy snowfall in winter.
• Verb:
  • The speaker's aggressive questioning was meant to buffalo the witness.
  • Don't let his fancy title buffalo you; state your case clearly.

Advanced Usage

• "To buffalo someone into (doing) something": To intimidate or pressure someone into doing something.
  • They tried to buffalo him into signing the contract without reading it.

Variants and Related Words

• Buffaloes (n): Standard plural form of the noun "buffalo."
• Buffaloed (v): Past tense and past participle of the verb "to buffalo."
• Buffalofish (n): A type of North American freshwater fish, named for its perceived resemblance.
• Bison (n): The more precise zoological term for the North American animal often called a buffalo.

Synonyms

• Noun (Animal): Bison, ox.
• Verb: Intimidate, overawe, bully, browbeat, daunt.

Related Phrasal Verbs/Constructions

• Buffalo through: To proceed in a forceful, overwhelming, or confusing manner (less common).
  • He just buffaloed through all the objections and did it his way.

Related Idioms

• "To separate the buffalo from the cattle": A rare, non-standard idiom implying the need to distinguish between two similar things (modeled on "separate the wheat from the chaff").
• "Like a buffalo in a china shop": A humorous variation of "like a bull in a china shop," describing a person who is clumsy or acts without subtlety in a delicate situation.

Noun

1. any of several Old World animals resembling oxen including, e.g., water buffalo; Cape buffalo
2. meat from an American bison
3. a city on Lake Erie in western New York (near Niagara Falls)
4. large shaggy-haired brown bison of North American plains

Verb

1. intimidate or overawe