Word
Definition
n. a wild animal from Africa that looks like a horse with black and white stripes.
n. an African wild equid characterised by a distinctive coat of black and white stripes. In medical contexts, sometimes used to refer to a rare or exotic diagnosis.
Examples
“We saw a zebra running across the grass.”
“The children were excited to see a zebra at the zoo during their school trip.”
“While the common horse and the zebra share a similar skeletal structure, the latter's unique striped pattern serves as a complex mechanism for temperature regulation and predator confusion.”
Examples
simple
“We saw a zebra running across the grass.”
contextual
“The children were excited to see a zebra at the zoo during their school trip.”
complex
“While the common horse and the zebra share a similar skeletal structure, the latter's unique striped pattern serves as a complex mechanism for temperature regulation and predator confusion.”
Usage
The plural form is typically 'zebras', though 'zebra' is occasionally used as a collective plural in hunting or scientific contexts.
Real-World Examples
“Unlike horses or donkeys, zebras have never been truly domesticated.” “Zebras are natural grazers and have evolved to survive on harsh, dry savannahs.” “The zebra population, unique to the DRC, plummeted to a concerning low of just 35.” “Scientists have found the spread of big-headed ants in east Africa sets off a situation leading to lions making fewer zebra kills.” Etymology
First attested in 1600. Borrowed from Italian zebra, from Portuguese zebra, zebro (“zebra”), from Old Galician-Portuguese enzebro, ezebra, azebra (“wild ass”), from earlier cebrario (882), ezebrario (897), from Vulgar Latin *eciferus, from Latin equiferus (“wild horse”) (Pliny), from equus (“horse”) + ferus (“wild”). While the word was traditionally pronounced with a long vowel in the first syllable in standard English, during the twentieth century a vowel shift occurred in regions of England, with the shortening of the first vowel. This pronunciation is now used throughout the UK and most Commonwealth nations. The long-vowel pronunciation remains standard in Canadian and American English and is used in the UK only by some older, conservative RP speakers. (unlikely diagnosis): Originates in the advice often given to medical students, "when you hear hoofbeats, think of horses, not zebras". (referee): In reference to the black and white striped shirts they wear.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Domains
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.A1 MoversIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.2.0–3.0TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 1.0–1.50–23TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.120–224
- Frequency
- Frequent
- Level
- A1 · Beginner
- Updated
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QR code
englishreference.com/q/zebra
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「日本語」 data: JMdict (EDRDG), CC BY-SA 4.0