wildebeest

English

A few wildebeests.

Etymology

Borrowed in the early 19th century from early Afrikaans wildebeest, modern wildebees (literally “wild ox”), with influence from beast.

Pronunciation

• (General American) IPA^(key): /ˈwɪldəbist/, enPR: wĭlʹdə-bēst

• Audio (Southern England):

  (file)

Noun

wildebeest (plural wildebeest or wildebeests or (rare) wildebeesten)

1. (zoology) The gnu.

   Coordinate term: hartebeest

   • 1982, TC Boyle, Water Music, Penguin, published 2006, page 3:

     Dassoud […] stepped forward with a lash composed of the caudal appendages of half a dozen wildebeests.

   • 2013, Eleanor Morse, White Dog Fell From the Sky:

     Later that morning, they wrapped Ian in a wildebeest skin and buried him near a shepherd tree.

Derived terms

• black wildebeest
• blue wildebeest

 

Descendants

• → Japanese: ウィルドビースト (wirudobīsuto)

Translations

gnu — see gnu

Further reading

• wildebeest on Wikipedia.Wikipedia

Dutch

Etymology

Borrowed from Afrikaans wildebees (literally “wild ox”). Equivalent to wilde +‎ beest.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈʋɪl.dəˌbeːst/

• Audio:

  (file)

• Hyphenation: wil‧de‧beest

Noun

wildebeest n (plural wildebeesten, diminutive wildebeestje n)

1. gnu, wildebeest

   Synonym: gnoe m