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nilgai

or nyl·ghai, nyl·ghau

[ nil-gahy ]
/ ˈnɪl gaɪ /

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.

QUIZZES

TAKE THIS QUIZ TO SEE WHAT YOU KNOW ABOUT HIGH SCHOOL PUNCTUATION!

Commas mark divisions in sentences. Periods end declarative sentences. Apostrophes show possession. Easy, right? Well, punctuation can get pretty tricky—fast. Think you got what it takes to be a punctuation expert? Take our quiz to prove it!
Question 1 of 10
Which of the options below is the best punctuation for the sentence? It__s your turn to pick the movie __ but your sister gets to pick the board game we _ re going to play.
Its your turn to pick the movie but your sister gets to pick the board game we’re going to play.
It’s your turn to pick the movie but your sister gets to pick the board game were going to play.
It’s your turn to pick the movie, but your sister gets to pick the board game we’re going to play.
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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, nilo-saharan, nilometer, nilote
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Example sentences from the Web for nilgai

  • We are not like Antelope or Nilgai, who go without water for days and days.

    The Sa'-Zada Tales|William Alexander Fraser

  • For example, the castrated Nilgai (Boselaphus tragocamelus) acquires horns, but not the characteristic male colour.

    The Making of Species|Douglas Dewar

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 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012