water buffalo vs water ox

water buffalo and water ox both are nouns.

Word	Noun	Adjective	Verb	Adverb
water buffalo	Yes	No	No	No
water ox	Yes	No	No	No

As nouns, water buffalo and water ox are synonyms defined as:

water buffalo and water ox: an Asian buffalo that is often domesticated for use as a draft animal

Other synonyms of water buffalo include Asiatic buffalo, Bubalus bubalis.

water buffalo (noun)	water ox (noun)
an Asian buffalo that is often domesticated for use as a draft animal	an Asian buffalo that is often domesticated for use as a draft animal