saiga

American

[sahy-guh] / ˈsaɪ gə /

noun

a goatlike antelope, Saiga tatarica, of western Asia and eastern Russia, having a greatly enlarged muzzle.

saiga British

/ ˈsaɪɡə /

noun

either of two antelopes, Saiga tatarica or S. mongolica, of the plains of central Asia, having an enlarged slightly elongated nose

"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

Etymology

Origin of saiga

1795–1805; (< New Latin ) < Russian saĭgá ( k ) < Turkic; compare Chagatai sayğak

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.

“The thing about saiga is the local people really love it,” says Milner-Gulland.

From National Geographic • Dec. 14, 2023

Just two decades ago, it seemed as if we might need to write a eulogy for the saiga antelope.

From National Geographic • Dec. 14, 2023

Lastly, the country designated multiple protected areas totaling more than 12 million acres of saiga antelope habitat.

From National Geographic • Dec. 14, 2023

David Gill, FFI senior programme manager for Central Asia, said the new census was the best evidence yet that decades of conservation efforts to protect the saiga were paying off.

From BBC • Jul. 3, 2021

Hodgson was apparently not well acquainted at the time with saiga, or he would have certainly alluded to the affinity.

From Natural History of the Mammalia of India and Ceylon by Sterndale, Robert Armitage

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023