carabao

American  

[kahr-uh-bah-oh] / ˌkɑr əˈbɑ oʊ /

noun

plural

carabaos

1. (in the Philippines) the wild or domesticated water buffalo: endangered in the wild.

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carabao British  

/ ˌkærəˈbeɪəʊ /

noun

1. another name for water buffalo

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Etymology

Origin of carabao

First recorded in 1895–1900; from Philippine Spanish, from Visayan karabáw, apparently from Malay kerbau, perhaps ultimately a borrowing from an Austroasiatic source; compare Khmer krapī, also borrowed into Thai as krabụ̄

Example Sentences

But aides said there was no sumptuous banquet or champagne, just a meal for 627 guests showcasing the country's culinary heritage, including coconut pith spring rolls, a cheese made from carabao milk and durian tartlets.

From Reuters • Jun. 30, 2016

Volker's is a quiet, hippie homestead with handmade Adirondack chairs, a treehouse for backpackers, truck-tire lawn furniture, a rainwater Jacuzzi, and a wandering carabao named Carrie who serves as the de facto lawn mower.

From Slate • Mar. 2, 2012

Finally a Japanese officer permitted us to drink water from a dirty carabao wallow.

From Time Magazine Archive

For Sir Archibald Clark Kerr, Britain's special envoy to Indonesia, time dragged as sluggishly as a sick carabao.

From Time Magazine Archive

When he imagined himself getting squashed by a carabao or a jeepney, it terrified him, even though he wasn’t completely sure what either of those things were.

From "Hello, Universe" by Erin Entrada Kelly