gnu

[ noo, nyoo ]

/ nu, nyu /

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noun, plural gnus, (especially collectively) gnu.

either of two stocky, oxlike antelopes of the genus Connochaetes, the silver-gray, white-bearded C. taurinus of the eastern African plain and the black, white-tailed C. gnou of central South Africa: recently near extinction, the South African gnu is now protected.

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Also called wildebeest.

Origin of gnu

1770–80; <Khoikhoi, first recorded as t’gnu; probably to be identified with ǂnû black, as applying originally to the black wildebeest

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH gnu

gnu , knew, new

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use gnu in a sentence

Gnus are here unknown, and these animals may live to old age if not beguiled into pitfalls.
The Last Journals of David Livingstone, in Central Africa, from 1865 to His Death, Volume I (of 2), 1866-1868|David Livingstone
Two kinds of gnus are known, both of which are found in Southern and Eastern Africa.
The Animal World, A Book of Natural History|Theodore Wood
The quaggas and gnus, however, soon after separated, going off in different directions.
Hendricks the Hunter|W.H.G. Kingston
Herds of gnus and bontebok bounded over the plains, and many solitary antelopes started from their lairs as he approached them.
Adventures of Hans Sterk|A.W. Drayson

Gnus and zebras contemplate the strange intruder with an air of surprise.
The Desert World|Arthur Mangin

British Dictionary definitions for gnu

gnu

/ (nuː) /

noun plural gnus or gnu

either of two sturdy antelopes, Connochaetes taurinus (brindled gnu) or the much rarer C. gnou (white-tailed gnu), inhabiting the savannas of Africa, having an oxlike head and a long tufted tailAlso called: wildebeest

Word Origin for gnu

C18: from Xhosa nqu

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012