wildebeest

US /ˈwɪldəbist/ UK /ˈwɪldəbiːst/ See IPA manual

Meanings

1

noun
a large African antelope with a head like an ox and a long tufted tail

The wildebeest is known for its annual migration across the Serengeti.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 noun · a large african antelope... gnu antelopebrindled gnu

Simplified etymology

Wildebeest entered English in the early 19th century from Afrikaans and literally means “wild beast.” It is another name for the gnu.

Etymology

From Dutch wilde (wild) + beest (beast), literally wild beast; adopted into modern English as wildebeest, a large African antelope also called the gnu.

Topics

Describing Qualities

External links

# wildebeest

**Type:** Word
**Level:** B2
**Part of speech:** noun
**IPA (US):** /ˈwɪldəbist/
**IPA (UK):** /ˈwɪldəbiːst/

## Meanings
1. a large African antelope with a head like an ox and a long tufted tail

## Examples
- The wildebeest is known for its annual migration across the Serengeti.

## Synonyms
- gnu
- antelope
- brindled gnu

## Etymology
From Dutch wilde (wild) + beest (beast), literally wild beast; adopted into modern English as wildebeest, a large African antelope also called the gnu.

## AI Etymology
Wildebeest comes from Dutch wilde (wild) + beest (beast), literally wild beast; adopted into modern English as wildebeest, a large African antelope also called the gnu. In current use it is a noun meaning "a large African antelope with a head like an ox and a long tufted tail". That sense is explained by the older material without requiring a speculative semantic step: the inherited or borrowed base supplies the field of meaning, while the English formation fixes its modern role. The surface form is compositional: its joined elements remain visible in the modern word. The word's history is thus visible in its construction: the components remain interpretable even after the whole expression has settled into a conventional English meaning.

## Topics
- Describing Qualities

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