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 crocodile, Nile green, Nile River, Niles, Nile Valley, nilgai, Nilgiri Hills, nill, Nilometer, Nilópolis, Nilo-Saharan

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use nilgai in a sentence

For example, the castrated Nilgai (Boselaphus tragocamelus) acquires horns, but not the characteristic male colour.
The Making of Species|Douglas Dewar
We 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 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012