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pronghorn

American  
[prawng-hawrn, prong-] / ˈprɔŋˌhɔrn, ˈprɒŋ- /

noun

pronghorns, plural pronghorn plural
  1. a fleet, antelopelike ruminant, Antilocapra americana, of the plains of western North America: now greatly reduced in number and endangered in some areas.


pronghorn British  
/ ˈprɒŋˌhɔːn /

noun

  1. Also called: American antelope.  a ruminant mammal, Antilocapra americana, inhabiting rocky deserts of North America and having small branched horns: family Antilocapridae

"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

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

Etymology

Origin of pronghorn

First recorded in 1805–15; prong + horn

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Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

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When woody plants and trees encroach on rangeland, this can lead to the reduction of forage for pronghorn.

From Science Daily Mar. 12, 2024

The question of whether humans can build necessary solar infrastructure without harming nature is playing out in the grasslands of the American West, prime locations for solar farms and home to animals like pronghorn.

From New York Times Feb. 13, 2024

The area also includes habitat for the greater sage grouse as well as bighorn sheep, mule deer and pronghorn antelope.

From Seattle Times Dec. 22, 2023

Fish and Wildlife Service are collecting tissue samples from 24 endangered mammal species, including the Preble’s meadow jumping mouse, the Mexican wolf, and the Sonoran pronghorn.

From Science Magazine Oct. 4, 2023

Game one zips by G4 like a pronghorn antelope, fast and furious, and just when we wind the corner to a record thirteen-goal shutout our goalie goes down with a, get this, broken pinkie toe.

From "Booked" by Kwame Alexander

In terms of preventative conservation, the paper makes the case for preemptive management of woody vegetation to help ensure sufficient forage for pronghorns.

From Science Daily Mar. 12, 2024

Towering steel bollards closed off wildlife corridors, preventing animals like tiny elf owls, pronghorns and big cats from Mexico to cross into the U.S. to hunt and mate.

From Seattle Times Dec. 11, 2022

Berkshire Hathaway Energy hired an ecological consulting firm for advice about ways to minimize the project’s impacts on the kit foxes and wildlife, from rodents to pronghorns, at the Topaz site.

From National Geographic Jan. 6, 2021

Sara DiRienzo, a spokeswoman for the agency, said that the officer delivered an official warning — chasing pronghorns is a form of wildlife harassment — but no citation.

From New York Times Feb. 23, 2020

The bright-eyed pronghorns swerved; and the band split wide, and the horse dashed through.

From The Preacher of Cedar Mountain A Tale of the Open Country by Seton, Ernest Thompson

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