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Glite Dictionary
Oryx gazella

Oryx gazella

9.8
A large antelope like a deer from southern Africa with long straight horns and a black stripe on its side
  • noun
  • Specialized
translation icon : gemsbok
  • The black stripe along its flank distinguishes the Oryx gazella from other antelopes.

Examples

  • The Oryx gazella is known for its impressive horns.

  • The Oryx gazella is well adapted to survive in arid environments with little water.

  • Wildlife photographers traveled to Namibia hoping to capture images of the elusive Oryx gazella.

  • Have you ever seen an Oryx gazella in the wild?

  • The Oryx gazella can often be spotted grazing in the savannah when the sun rises.

  • During our safari, we were thrilled to see the Oryx gazella standing majestically on the hillside.

  • Tourists flock to South Africa to catch a glimpse of the striking Oryx gazella with its long horns.

Synonyms

gemsbok
vsOryx gazella
  • South African
1 9.9

A large antelope from southern Africa with a dark band along its sides

is the scientific name for the same animal

Surface Forms

Oryx gazella singular
Oryx gazellas plural

Morphology

oryx + Gazella

Knowing 'oryx' (a large antelope) and 'Gazella' (a genus of antelopes) lets a B1 learner infer that this is the name of a particular antelope species, so the basic referent (an antelope) is derivable from the parts. However, the precise species identity, geographic range, and distinctive features (e.g. 'gemsbok', black flank band) depend on taxonomic/Latin naming conventions and are not predictable from the constituents alone, so the transparency is only partial.

Etymology

Oryx gazella gets its name from older words that describe how it looks: Oryx may come from a word for a long, straight horn, and gazella is like 'gazelle', showing it is an antelope. So the name helps you remember a large antelope with long, straight horns and dark stripes on its side.