Matabele

American  

[mat-uh-bee-lee] / ˌmæt əˈbi li /

noun

PLURAL

Matabeles

PLURAL

Matabele

1. Ndebele.

---

Matabele British  

/ ˌmætəˈbiːlɪ, -ˈbɛlɪ /

noun

1. Now known as: Ndebele.  a member of a formerly warlike people of southern Africa, now living in Zimbabwe: driven out of the Transvaal by the Boers in 1837

2. the language of this people, belonging to the Bantu group of the Niger-Congo family

---

Etymology

Origin of Matabele

First recorded in 1815–25

Example Sentences

Are Matabele ants really unique in this respect?

From Science Daily

In Mozambique, Wilson studied the Matabele ant, a species that favors termites as food.

From Washington Post

In Zimbabwe, the military campaign against the Matabele was known as “Gukurahundi” — a rain that washes away husks after the corn has been reaped.

From Washington Times

This category was expanded beyond the dissidents to include thousands of members of the Matabele people from the same ethnic group as Mr Mugabe's opponent at the time, Joshua Nkomo.

From BBC

Scientists studying the behavior of African Matabele ants in Ivory Coast have found that the insects act like paramedics in a crisis, triaging and treating the wounds of their injured peers.

From Seattle Times