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

In 2019, desert bighorn sheep in West Texas were hit by a pneumonia outbreak linked to the pathogen Mycoplasma ovipneumoniae. —Hanna Wickes, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 28 Apr. 2026

Meanwhile, native desert bighorn sheep numbers dropped from about 1,500 in 2019 to fewer than 500 by 2024, with the most recent TPWD surveys in 2025 recording approximately 730 animals statewide. —Hanna Wickes, Miami Herald, 27 Apr. 2026

Wildlife officials say aoudad often produce twins twice a year, while desert bighorn sheep typically have one offspring annually. —Hanna Wickes, Charlotte Observer, 27 Apr. 2026

According to Texas Parks and Wildlife Department officials, the aoudad population has grown to more than 20,000 animals, spreading from the Panhandle into West Texas and the Trans-Pecos region — right into the territory of native desert bighorn sheep. —Hanna Wickes, Kansas City Star, 27 Apr. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1817, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for bighorn sheep

• asleep
• upkeep
• beep
• cheap
• creep
• deep
• heap
• jeep
• keep
• leap
• peep
• reap

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