hartebeest

[ hahr-tuh-beest, hahrt-beest ]

/ ˈhɑr təˌbist, ˈhɑrtˌbist /

noun, plural har·te·beests, (especially collectively) har·te·beest.

any large African antelope of the genus Alcelaphus, having ringed horns that curve backward: some species are endangered.

any of several related African antelopes, as certain species of the genus Damaliscus.

Nearby words

Origin of hartebeest

From Afrikaans, dating back to 1780–90; see origin at hart, beast

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for hartebeest

When we was ridin' after that hartebeest to-day he comes out with it.
The Blind Lion of the Congo|Elliott Whitney
Herds of antelope, and of hartebeest, were feeding over the vast plain.
The Ruined Cities of Zululand|Hugh Mulleneux Walmsley
He appeared rather to be running harder that they, as if sent forward to push the hartebeest, while the rest saved their wind.
Popular Adventure Tales|Mayne Reid
We saw a herd of hartebeest, and reached at night a place within easy run of Koki in Gani.
The Discovery of the Source of the Nile|John Hanning Speke

From where I stood looking at them hartebeest, kob, waterbuck, and oribi were also all in sight.
A Book-Lover's Holidays in the Open|Theodore Roosevelt

British Dictionary definitions for hartebeest

hartebeest

hartbeest (ˈhɑːtˌbiːst)

/ (ˈhɑːtɪˌbiːst) /

noun

either of two large African antelopes, Alcelaphus buselaphus or A. lichtensteini, having an elongated muzzle, lyre-shaped horns, and a fawn-coloured coat

any similar and related animal, such as Damaliscus hunteri (Hunter's hartebeest)

Word Origin for hartebeest

C18: via Afrikaans from Dutch; see hart, beast

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

Word Origin and History for hartebeest

hartebeest

1786, from Afrikaans, from Dutch hertebeest "antelope," from hert "hart" (see hart) + beest "beast, ox" (in S.African Dutch "steer, cattle"), from Middle Dutch beeste, from Old French beste "beast" (see beast).