zebu
[zee-byoo, -boo]
- one of a domesticated form of cattle, Bos taurus indicus, of India, having a large hump over the shoulders and a large dewlap.
Origin of zebu
First recorded in 1765–75, zebu is from the French word zébu, of obscure origin
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018
Examples from the Web for zebu
Historical Examples
Well, dear, the crocodile has great teeth and would eat the zebu.
Danger! and Other StoriesArthur Conan Doyle
How long do you think it would take the zebu to beat the crocodile?
Danger! and Other StoriesArthur Conan Doyle
One of these it Zebu, which is10 fifty leguas in circumference.
The cocoa of Zebu is reported to be equal in excellence to that of the Caracas.
A Visit to the Philippine IslandsJohn Bowring
Bullocks (Beri or Ferita) are similar to the Zebu, but the hump is smaller.
The Highlands of EthiopiaWilliam Cornwallis Harris
zebu
- a domesticated ox, Bos indicus, having a humped back, long horns, and a large dewlap: used in India and E Asia as a draught animal
Word Origin
C18: from French zébu, perhaps of Tibetan origin
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
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Word Origin and History for zebu
n.
Asiatic ox, 1774, from French zebu, ultimately of Tibetan origin. First shown in Europe at the Paris fair of 1752.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper