markhor

[ mahr-kawr ]

/ ˈmɑr kɔr /

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noun, plural mar·khors, (especially collectively) mar·khor.

a wild goat, Capra falconeri, of mountainous regions from Afghanistan to India, having compressed, spiral horns and long, shaggy hair: all populations are threatened or endangered.

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Also markhoor.

Origin of markhor

1865–70; <Persian mārkhōr literally, serpent-eater, equivalent to mār snake + -khōr eating; cf. manticore

Words nearby markhor

market town, market value, Markevich, Markham, markhoor, markhor, Markiewicz, marking, marking gage, marking ink, markka

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

How to use markhor in a sentence

He peopled the hills with anything they had a mind to slay—thar, ibex, or markhor, and bear by Elisha's allowance.
Kim|Rudyard Kipling
No animal's pursuit leads the sportsman over such dangerous ground as that of the markhor.
Natural History of the Mammalia of India and Ceylon|Robert A. Sterndale
The markhor frequents steep and rocky ground above the forests in summer, but descending in the winter.
Natural History of the Mammalia of India and Ceylon|Robert A. Sterndale
There was a wooden verandah, the corners of which were ornamented with the horns of the markhor, or mountain goat.
Among the Wild Tribes of the Afghan Frontier|T. L. Pennell

Of wild animals the chief are the markhor (a goat) and the oorial (a sheep).
Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 15, Slice 6|Various

British Dictionary definitions for markhor

markhor

markhoor (ˈmɑːkʊə)

/ (ˈmɑːkɔː) /

noun plural -khors, -khor, -khoors or -khoor

a large wild Himalayan goat, Capra falconeri, with a reddish-brown coat and large spiralled horns

Word Origin for markhor

C19: from Persian, literally: snake-eater, from mār snake + -khōr eating

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