nilgai

or nyl·ghai, nyl·ghau

[ nil-gahy ]

Phonetic (Standard)IPA

noun

, plural nil·gais, (especially collectively) nil·gai.

a large, Indian antelope, Boselaphus tragocamelus, the male of which is bluish gray with small horns, the female tawny and hornless.

nilgai

/ ˈnɪlɡɔː; ˈnɪlɡaɪ /

a large Indian antelope, Boselaphus tragocamelus. The male is blue-grey with white markings and has small horns; the female is brownish and has no horns

Origin of nilgai¹

First recorded in 1880–85, nilgai is from the Hindi word nīlgāy literally, blue cow

Origin of nilgai¹

C19: from Hindi nīlgāw blue bull, from Sanskrit nīla dark blue + go bull

For example, the castrated Nilgai (Boselaphus tragocamelus) acquires horns, but not the characteristic male colour.

We are not like Antelope or Nilgai, who go without water for days and days.

April 19, 2024tortuous

[tawr-choo-uhs ]

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