noun
wildebeest
WIL-duh-beest/ˈwɪldəbiːst/
A large African antelope with a heavy head and curved horns.
The wildebeest stands with curved horns above its long face.
Etymology
The compound literally means “wild beast,” with beest also used for cattle in South African Dutch. This broad animal description became the specific English name for the African antelope.
In context
the horns on a male wildebeest can grow to thirty-two inches long wildebeest can be up to four and a half feet tall
More examples
- The wildebeest lifts its heavy head at the sound.
- Hundreds of wildebeest move across the plain.
- The guide points out a wildebeest's curved horns.
Forms
wildebeest · wildebeests
Similar words
- gnu
- Another name for the same antelope.