Word
abada
Phoneticsaba·da
Definitions
01mythical creature
n. a legendary animal from Central African stories that looks like a unicorn but has two curved horns and a tail like a wild pig.
n. A herbivorous mythological creature of the Congo region, described as having two crooked horns and a boar's tail. Its horns are traditionally reputed to serve as an antidote to poisons.
“The old stories describe the abada as a shy creature with magical horns.”
“In the folklore of the Congo, the abada is often likened to a unicorn, though it is distinguished by its two curved horns and its unique medicinal properties.”
Literary
Usage
Usually appears in the singular when referring to the species in a mythological context.
Teaching tip
This term is extremely rare and mostly found in older texts or specialized books on mythology; modern speakers would simply use 'mythical beast'.
Synonyms
02rhinoceros
n. an old word for a rhinoceros.
n. An obsolete term for the rhinoceros, derived from the Portuguese name for the animal.
“The explorer's journal mentioned an abada charging through the tall grass.”
“Early Portuguese accounts of the African interior frequently used the term abada to describe the rhinoceroses they encountered during their expeditions.”
Archaic
Teaching tip
This sense is obsolete. It is useful only for reading historical documents or 16th-century travelogues.
Synonyms
Etymology
From Portuguese abada (“female rhinoceros”), from Malay badak (“rhinoceros”).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.