nilgai
1
9.9
- noun
- /ˈnɪlˌɡaɪ/
- Indian
:
nilgai
- A male nilgai can be distinguished by its blue-grey coat and white markings.
- nilgai antelope
Examples
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The nilgai is often seen grazing in the grasslands of India.
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What if I live with the nilgai?
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We learned from our boatman that the antelope was actually the Nilgai or Blue Bull, whose broad back offered comfortable resting places for birds.
Academic text (2005) -
While visiting a national park, we spotted a group of nilgai wandering near the river.
Synonyms
A large antelope from India with blue-grey males and brown females
A large antelope from India whose males are blue-grey with horns and females are brown without horns
A large deer-like animal from India whose male has a blue-grey coat and whose female is brown and hornless
Surface Forms
Etymology
Nilgai comes from Hindi words nil 'blue' and gai 'cow'. People called this antelope 'blue cow' because the males are blue-grey and it looks a little like a large cow, which helps explain the animal's name.