wildebeest
Americannoun
plural
wildebeests,plural
wildebeestnoun
Etymology
Origin of wildebeest
1830–40; < Afrikaans wildebees < Dutch wildebeest, equivalent to wild wild + beest beast
Explanation
A wildebeest is a large, four-legged animal with hooves and curved horns. You might be able to see herds of wildebeests if you travel to the open plains of Africa south of the Sahara desert. Another name for a wildebeest is a gnu. The word wildebeest comes from the Afrikaans wildebees, or "wild beast," while gnu is derived from a name native Africans used for the animal. An antelope relative, the wildebeest is distinctive for its shaggy mane and front-heavy shape, with most of its weight in its forequarters. Wildebeests are migratory, traveling as much as 1000 miles each year.
Vocabulary lists containing wildebeest
Africa - Introductory
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Africa - Middle School
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Africa - High School
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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.
The Tanzania Wildlife Research Institute and ecologist Grant Hopcraft have tracked up to 50 collared wildebeest for the past two decades as they migrated through the Serengeti and Maasai Mara.
From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 20, 2025
"If every lion that was born survived to become an adult and breed, you'd run out of zebra and wildebeest pretty quick."
From BBC • Nov. 7, 2025
Jamelle, I think you wanted to answer in a more substantive way than my wildebeest comment.
From Slate • Jul. 2, 2025
Although plants don’t get up and migrate like herds of wildebeest, they do shift over time as climate zones change.
From Salon • Feb. 17, 2025
“Does that wildebeest think I just magic up these supplies from the supply fairy?”
From "Chronicles of a Lizard Nobody" by Patrick Ness
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
