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Webster 1913 Edition

Buffalo

Buf′fa-lo

,
Noun.
;
pl.
Buffaloes
.
[Sp.
bufalo
(cf. It.
bufalo
, F.
buffle
), fr. L.
bubalus
,
bufalus
, a kind of African stag or gazelle; also, the buffalo or wild ox, fr. Gr. [GREEK] buffalo, prob. fr. [GREEK] ox. See
Cow
the animal, and cf.
Buff
the color, and
Bubale
.]
1.
(Zool.)
A species of the genus
Bos
or
Bubalus
(
Bubalus bubalus
), originally from India, but now found in most of the warmer countries of the eastern continent. It is larger and less docile than the common ox, and is fond of marshy places and rivers.
2.
(Zool.)
A very large and savage species of the same genus (
Syncerus Caffer
syn.
Bubalus Caffer
) found in South Africa; – called also
Cape buffalo
.
3.
(Zool.)
Any species of wild ox.
4.
(Zool.)
The bison of North America.
5.
A buffalo robe. See
Buffalo robe
, below.
6.
(Zool.)
The buffalo fish. See
Buffalofish
, below.
Buffalo berry
(Bot.)
,
a shrub of the Upper Missouri (
Sherherdia argentea
) with acid edible red berries.
–
Buffalo bird
(Zool.)
,
an African bird of the genus
Buphaga
, of two species. These birds perch upon buffaloes and cattle, in search of parasites.
–
Buffalo bug
,
the carpet beetle. See under
Carpet
.
–
Buffalo chips
,
dry dung of the buffalo, or bison, used for fuel.
[U.S.]
–
Buffalo clover
(Bot.)
,
a kind of clover (
Trifolium reflexum
and
Trifoliumsoloniferum
) found in the ancient grazing grounds of the American bison.
–
Buffalo cod
(Zool.)
,
a large, edible, marine fish (
Ophiodon elongatus
) of the northern Pacific coast; – called also
blue cod
, and
cultus cod
.
–
Buffalo fly
, or
Buffalo gnat
(Zool.)
,
a small dipterous insect of the genus
Simulium
, allied to the black fly of the North. It is often extremely abundant in the lower part of the Mississippi valley and does great injury to domestic animals, often killing large numbers of cattle and horses. In Europe the Columbatz fly is a species with similar habits.
–
Buffalo grass
(Bot.)
,
a species of short, sweet grass (
Buchloë dactyloides
), from two to four inches high, covering the prairies on which the buffaloes, or bisons, feed.
[U.S.]
–
Buffalo nut
(Bot.)
,
the oily and drupelike fruit of an American shrub (
Pyrularia oleifera
); also, the shrub itself; oilnut.
–
Buffalo robe
,
the skin of the bison of North America, prepared with the hair on; – much used as a lap robe in sleighs.

Webster 1828 Edition

Buffalo

BUFF'ALO

,
Noun.
[L. bubalus.] The Bubalus, a species of the bovine genus, originally from India, but now found in most of the warmer countries of the Eastern Continent. It is larger and less docile than the common ox, and is fond of marshy places and rivers. The name is also applied to wild oxen in general, and particularly to the Bison of North America. [See Bison.]

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