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nilgai

or nyl·ghai, nyl·ghau

[nil-gahy]
noun, plural nil·gais, (especially collectively) nil·gai.
  1. 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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Origin of nilgai

First recorded in 1880–85, nilgai is from the Hindi word nīlgāy literally, blue cow
Also called blue bull.
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for nilgai

Historical Examples

  • 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.

British Dictionary definitions for nilgai

nilgai

nilghau or nylghau (ˈnɪlɡɔː)

noun plural -gai, -gais, -ghau or -ghaus
  1. 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
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Word Origin

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