East African oryx
[ eest-af-ri-kuhn awr-iks ]
/ ˈist ˈæf rɪ kən ˈɔr ɪks /
Save This Word!
noun plural East Af·ri·can o·ryx·es, (especially collectively) East Af·ri·can o·ryx.
a large antelope, Oryx beisa, with distinctive black striping on its neck and face, a conspicuous black stripe separating its gray coat from its white underside, and thin, nearly straight, ringed horns that reach a length of about 31 inches (79 centimeters) on both the males and females: it has two subspecies, one found throughout the Horn of Africa, and the other found in southern Kenya and northeastern Tanzania, both of which were once thought to be subspecies of the gemsbok and which are now classified as near threatened.
QUIZZES
QUIZ YOURSELF ON "WAS" VS. "WERE"!
Were you ready for a quiz on this topic? Well, here it is! See how well you can differentiate between the uses of "was" vs. "were" in this quiz.
Question 1 of 7
“Was” is used for the indicative past tense of “to be,” and “were” is only used for the subjunctive past tense.
Meet Grammar Coach
Improve Your Writing
Origin of East African oryx
First recorded in 1980–85; the species was identified and named Oryx beisa in 1835
Words nearby East African oryx
Easley, east, East Africa, East African, East African Community, East African oryx, East Anglia, East Anglian, East Asia, East Australia Current, East Ayrshire
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2021