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Antilope cervicapra

Antilope cervicapra

9.7
A kind of antelope from India whose males have dark backs and long spiral horns
  • noun
  • Specialized
translation icon : Antílope cervicapra
  • Male Antilope cervicapra are distinguished by their striking dark backs and elegant spiral horns.

Examples

  • The Antilope cervicapra is also commonly known as the blackbuck in India.

  • Wildlife reserves often protect the Antilope cervicapra due to its declining population.

  • The Antilope cervicapra is known for its striking appearance.

  • Have you ever seen an Antilope cervicapra in the wild?

  • Male Antilope cervicapra are easily recognized by their characteristic dark backs and spiral horns.

  • In India, the Antilope cervicapra, also known as the blackbuck, roams freely in grasslands.

  • Conservation efforts are in place to protect the Antilope cervicapra from extinction.

Synonyms

blackbuck
vsAntilope cervicapra
  • Indian
9.3

A medium-sized Indian antelope with a dark back, white belly and long spiral horns

is the formal species description for the same animal
black buck
vsAntilope cervicapra
  • Indian
8.7

An antelope with a dark back and spiral horns that lives in India

is focused on India rather than the broader subcontinent

Surface Forms

Morphology

Antilope + cervicapra

This is a Latin binomial (scientific species name) whose parts are not English lexical items with accessible meanings for learners; the components are obscure or dictionary-not-found, so a B1 learner would not be able to infer 'blackbuck' or the species' characteristics from them. Scientific names function as arbitrary labels rather than compositional phrases, so the meaning is not derivable from the constituents.

Etymology

Antilope cervicapra may come from old Latin parts cervi ('deer') and capra ('goat') because the animal looks like a mix of a graceful deer body and goat-like spiral horns. So the name explains its deer-goat look and is used for the animal called 'blackbuck'.