noun
gnu
NOO/nuː/
a large African antelope also called a wildebeest
The gnu has a shaggy mane, heavy shoulders, and curved horns.
Etymology
The ancestral word !nu: names the wildebeest, the ox-like African antelope. English uses gnu as another name for that same animal.
More examples
- The gnus cross the river in a long line.
- Each gnu has curved horns and a shaggy mane.
- We spot a gnu beside a herd of zebras.
Forms
gnu · gnus
Similar words
- wildebeest
- Names the same animal and is more commonly used.