duiker

American  

[dahy-ker] / ˈdaɪ kər /

noun

plural

duikers,

plural

duiker

1. any of several small African antelopes of the Cephalophus, Sylvicapra, and related genera, the males and often the females having short, spikelike horns: some are endangered.

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duiker British  

/ ˈdaɪˌkə /

noun

1. Also called: duikerbok.  any small antelope of the genera Cephalophus and Sylvicapra, occurring throughout Africa south of the Sahara, having short straight backward-pointing horns, pointed hooves, and an arched back

2. any of several cormorants, esp the long-tailed shag ( Phalacrocorax africanus )

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Etymology

Origin of duiker

1770–80; < Afrikaans, Dutch duiker diver, equivalent to duiken to dive ( see duck ²) + -er -er ¹

Example Sentences

“If a hunt begins, it follows group lines: The duiker group chases duikers, the anomalure group pursues anomalures.”

From New York Times • May 7, 2021

After a long march, the team found what was left of the dead duiker, surrounded by buzzing flies.

From Science Magazine • Jan. 28, 2021

Recently, for example, the samples collected from the dead duiker in 2019 were analyzed.

From Science Magazine • Jan. 28, 2021

All the while, Sylvie, a young duiker, a type of antelope, would flagrantly steal scraps off the countertop.

From Washington Post

She could tell the marks of the leopards—who always drank at night—and the tiny marks of the duiker, who came shyly down to the river just as the sun was rising.

From "The Girl Who Married a Lion: and Other Tales from Africa" by Alexander Mccall Smith