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Glite Dictionary
pronghorn antelope

pronghorn antelope

1 8.0
A fast North American animal like an antelope with small forked horns on open plains
  • noun
  • /ˈprɔŋˌhɔrn ˈæntəˌloʊp/
  • US
translation icon : antílope pronghorn
  • Many wildlife enthusiasts travel to the West to observe pronghorn antelope in their natural habitat.
  • pronghorn antelope and deer
  • pronghorn antelope and sheep
  • pronghorn antelope and mule

Examples

  • I saw a pronghorn antelope while hiking in Wyoming.

  • Despite its name, the pronghorn antelope is not a true antelope.

  • The pronghorn antelope can outrun most predators on the open plains.

  • We spotted a herd of pronghorn antelope grazing near the foothills.

  • The pronghorn antelope is known for its incredible speed.

  • The swift pronghorn antelope can run at speeds of up to 55 miles per hour across the plains.

  • During the autumn months, pronghorn antelope gather in herds to forage for food.

Synonyms

pronghorn
vspronghorn antelope
  • US
3 8.4

A fast, deer-like animal from western North America with small branched horns

is the fuller name that adds a descriptive second word
Antilocapra americana
vspronghorn antelope
  • Specialized
9.9

A fast animal with hooves like an antelope that lives on western North American plains and has forked horns

is the common compound name used in everyday speech
prongbuck
vspronghorn antelope
  • Archaic
9.9

An animal like a small antelope with short branched horns that runs fast on open plains

is the standard two word form rather than the variant
American antelope
vspronghorn antelope
  • US
7.1

A fast, hoofed animal from western North America called the pronghorn

is the specific compound name highlighting its unique species identity

Surface Forms

pronghorn antelope singular
pronghorn antelopes plural

Morphology

pronghorn + antelope

The compound is directly built from the literal nouns 'pronghorn' and 'antelope', so a learner who knows those words can infer it refers to an antelope-like, fast mammal with forked/branched horns. There is no idiomatic or metaphorical shift—it's a descriptive, compositional noun phrase common across languages—so the meaning is immediately derivable from its parts.

Etymology

The noun pronghorn antelope comes from its horns: each horn has a small prong or fork, so people called the animal a pronghorn. That's why the name points to its forked horns, even though it is 'not a true antelope'.