scimitar oryx

American  

[sim-i-ter awr-iks] / ˈsɪm ɪ tər ˈɔr ɪks /

noun

scimitar oryxes, plural scimitar oryx plural

1. a large antelope, Oryx dammah, once widespread across North Africa, noted especially for its thin, backward-curving, symmetrical horns, which can reach a length of nearly 4 feet (1.2 meters) on both the males and females: hunted nearly to extinction for its horns, it is now believed to exist only in special reserves and was thus classified as extinct in the wild in 2000.

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• scimitar oryx
  plural
• scimitar oryxes
  plural

Etymology

Origin of scimitar oryx

First recorded in 1900–05. The variant scimitar-horned oryx was first recorded in 1845–50

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

scimitar oryx

The haul included some extinct animals, such as the scimitar oryx, and endangered species like lions, cheetahs and the Bengal tiger.

From BBC ● Apr. 10, 2022