Dictionary
Thesaurus
Encyclopedia
Translator
Web

nilgai

 - 3 dictionary results

nil⋅gai

[nil-gahy]
–noun, plural -gais, (especially collectively) -gai.
a large, Indian antelope, Boselaphus tragocamelus, the male of which is bluish gray with small horns, the female tawny and hornless.
Also called blue bull.


Origin:
1880–85; < Hindi nīlgāy lit., blue cow
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
Cite This Source Link To nilgai
nil·gai   (nĭl'gī)   
n.   pl. nil·gais or nilgai
A large, long-legged antelope (Boselaphus tragocamelus) of India, the male of which has short, sturdy horns and a tuft of long hair under the chin.

[Hindi nīlgāī, feminine of nīlgāw : nīl, dark blue (from Sanskrit nīla-) + gāw, ox, cow (from Sanskrit gauḥ; see gwou- in Indo-European roots).]
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
Cite This Source
Encyclopedia

nilgai

(species Boselaphus tragocamelus), Indian antelope, family Bovidae (order Artiodactyla), that ranges alone or in small groups in open plains or light forests.

Learn more about nilgai with a free trial on Britannica.com.

Encyclopedia Britannica, 2008. Encyclopedia Britannica Online.
Cite This Source
Search another word or see nilgai on Thesaurus | Reference
FacebookTwitterFollow us: