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• zebra
  zebra

  noun

  any of several horselike African mammals of the genus Equus, each species having a characteristic pattern of black or dark-brown stripes on a whitish background: all zebra species are threatened or endangered.
• Zebra
  Zebra

  noun

  a noninterest-paying bond in which the accrued income is taxed annually rather than on redemption Compare zero

zebra

American  

[zee-bruh, zeb-ruh] / ˈzi brə, ˈzɛb rə /

noun

zebras plural

1. any of several horselike African mammals of the genus Equus, each species having a characteristic pattern of black or dark-brown stripes on a whitish background: all zebra species are threatened or endangered.

2. Also called zebra butterfly.  a tropical butterfly, Heliconius charithonius, having black wings barred with yellow.

3. (initial capital letter) a word formerly used in communications to represent the letter Z.

4. Football Slang. an official, who usually wears a black and white striped shirt.

5. British. zebra crossing.

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Zebra ¹ British  

/ ˈzɛbrə, ˈziːbrə /

noun

1. a noninterest-paying bond in which the accrued income is taxed annually rather than on redemption Compare zero

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zebra ² British  

/ ˈzɛb-, ˈziːbraɪn, ˈzɛbrə, zɪˈbreɪɪk, ˈziːbrə /

noun

1. any of several mammals of the horse family ( Equidae ), such as Equus burchelli (the common zebra ), of southern and eastern Africa, having distinctive black-and-white striped hides

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• zebra-like
  adjective
• zebralike
  adjective
• zebraic
  adjective
• zebrine
  adjective

Inflected Forms

noun

• zebras
  plural
• zebra
  plural

Etymology

Origin of zebra

1590–1600; 1975–80 zebra for def. 4; < Portuguese zebra, zebro the Iberian wild ass ( Spanish cebra ), perhaps < Latin equiferus (Pliny) kind of wild horse, equivalent to equi- (combining form of equus horse) + ferus wild

Explanation

That black-and-white striped animal that looks like a horse? That's a zebra, a large African animal with hooves that you're most likely to see in a zoo. Like donkeys and horses, zebras are members of the family Equidae, or the horse family. Unlike the horses, however, zebras haven't ever truly been domesticated — so don't count on fulfilling your dream of riding a zebra. Zebra comes from Italian, ultimately going back to the Latin root equiferus, "wild horse." In the U.S., the first syllable of zebra is pronounced "zee," but in the U.K., it has a short e sound, like "tepid" or "web."

Example Sentences

Zebra Technologies surged 14% as the maker of automation technology reported better-than-expected first-quarter earnings and raised its outlook for 2026 on “continued momentum.”

From Barron's • May 12, 2026

Zebra reported sales of $5.8 billion in 2022.

From Barron's • May 12, 2026

Productivity makes hand-held scanners and other devices, competing with Zebra Technologies and others.

From Barron's • Apr. 20, 2026

Online comparison tools like the Zebra or Jerry allow you to compare premiums from different insurance companies based on information about the car and your personal driving history.

From MarketWatch • Feb. 4, 2026

Only in 1958, when he had stepped from behind the bar of another Zebra Room, would my grandfather have the leisure to remember his youthful dreams of roulette wheels.

From "Middlesex: A Novel" by Jeffrey Eugenides