nilgai
or nyl·ghai, nyl·ghau
[ nil-gahy ]
/ ˈnɪl gaɪ /
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noun, plural nil·gais, (especially collectively) nil·gai.
a large, Indian antelope, Boselaphus tragocamelus, the male of which is bluish gray with small horns, the female tawny and hornless.
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Also called blue bull.
Origin of nilgai
First recorded in 1880–85, nilgai is from the Hindi word nīlgāy literally, blue cow
Words nearby nilgai
Nile blue, Nile crocodile, Nile green, Nile River, Niles, nilgai, Nilgiri Hills, nill, Nilometer, Nilópolis, Nilo-Saharan
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2021
Example sentences from the Web for nilgai
For example, the castrated Nilgai (Boselaphus tragocamelus) acquires horns, but not the characteristic male colour.
The Making of Species|Douglas DewarWe are not like Antelope or Nilgai, who go without water for days and days.
The Sa'-Zada Tales|William Alexander Fraser
British Dictionary definitions for nilgai
nilgai
nilghau or nylghau (ˈnɪlɡɔː)
/ (ˈnɪlɡaɪ) /
noun plural -gai, -gais, -ghau or -ghaus
a large Indian antelope, Boselaphus tragocamelus. The male is blue-grey with white markings and has small horns; the female is brownish and has no horns
Word Origin for nilgai
C19: from Hindi nīlgāw blue bull, from Sanskrit nīla dark blue + go bull
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
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