Matabele

American  

[mat-uh-bee-lee] / ˌmæt əˈbi li /

noun

plural

Matabeles,

plural

Matabele

1. Ndebele.

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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

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Etymology

Origin of Matabele

First recorded in 1815–25

Example Sentences

However, Matabele ants have developed a sophisticated healthcare system: they can distinguish between non-infected and infected wounds and treat the latter efficiently with antibiotics they produce themselves.

From Science Daily • Jan. 2, 2024

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

From Washington Post • Oct. 8, 2020

Matabele ants, native to sub-Saharan Africa, lay siege to the termite colonies they eat by the hundreds, braving the potentially life-threatening bites of large soldier termites that defend them.

From National Geographic • Feb. 13, 2018

Then, in the 1940s, the trade unions formed in Bulawayo were led by shop stewards who also captained the Zimbabwean teams Matabele Highlanders and Red Army.

From The Guardian • May 28, 2015

From the shadows of the canopy to the rustle of Matabele ants in the dry grass, the whole grove vibrated with watchful attention.

From "The Ear, the Eye, and the Arm" by Nancy Farmer