zebra — An African wild horse with black-and-white stripes over all or most of the body
Part of speech: NOUN
Definition: An African wild horse with black-and-white stripes over all or most of the body
Pronunciation (IPA): /ˈziːbrə/
Example Sentences
- The zebra refused to wear pajamas because it already had the perfect stripes.
- Scientists study zebra stripes to understand how they help repel insects.
- The zebra crossing got its name because it looks like zebra stripes.
zebra
NOUN[/ˈziːbrə/]
An African wild horse with black-and-white stripes over all or most of the body
African wild horse with stripes
A zebra solves algebra at the opera!
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🎤Pronunciation
🌳Etymology
Origin
The word zebra entered Portuguese in the 16th century, borrowed from African indigenous languages encountered during European exploration of the continent. Portuguese traders and explorers adopted the term to describe the distinctive striped equine animals they discovered, with the word reflecting the wonder and unfamiliarity of this exotic species to European observers.
Breakdown
zebra (Portuguese) derives from African local languages; the morphological structure is monomorphemic with no identifiable prefix, root, or suffix divisions in European languages, representing a direct loanword from the source language.
🎵Rhyme
🔗Collocations
📝Examples
“The zebra refused to wear pajamas because it already had the perfect stripes.”
“Scientists study zebra stripes to understand how they help repel insects.”
“The zebra crossing got its name because it looks like zebra stripes.”
“A group of zebras is called a 'dazzle' because their stripes create a confusing visual effect.”
📚Related Words
Synonyms
Related
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