Skip to content
ontologydriven
Sign out

Dictionary

Words, grammatical forms and meanings linked to the ontology.

zebra en · NOUN

Pronunciation

  • (US) audio
  • (UK) audio
  • /ˈzɛb.ɹə/ (Commonwealth)
  • /ˈziːb.rɑː/ (South-Asia) Canada, US, and traditionally UK
  • /ˈziː.bɹə/ Canada, US, and traditionally UK

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.

Meanings

  1. Any of three species of subgenus Hippotigris: Equus grevyi, Equus quagga, or Equus zebra, all with black and white stripes and native to Africa.
    • A group of zebras can be called a dazzle. 2019 June 6, “A gaggle, a confusion and a conspiracy - bizarre animal collective group names”, in BBC:
  2. (slang) A referee.
  3. (slang) An unlikely diagnosis, especially for symptoms probably caused by a common ailment.
    • "It's a zebra! George. OK, I should explain. A zebra is..." "Medical slang for coming to an exotic diagnosis when a more simple explanation is more likely." "That's right. I was convinced that George, given his age and symptoms, had some kind of cardiac issue. It fit, it made sense. Because I was looking for the obvious when I should have been looking for the zebra! George is just having an allergic reaction to a combination of chemicals from all the stains and paints he's been using in the garage." 2005 March 7, “Apologies and Rememberances”, in Good Witch, season 1, episode 2 (TV), spoken by Dr. Sam Radford and Cassie Nightingale (James Denton and Catherine Bell), via Hallmark:
  4. (broadly) Someone who has Ehlers-Danlos syndrome or hypermobility spectrum disorder
    • EDS charities around the world use a zebra logo to promote the idea that sometimes it really is that ‘rare’ condition. 2020, Pharmaceutical Technology:
    • “I was told in medical school, ‘when you hear hoofbeats think horses, not zebras,’” she says. Many trainee doctors receive the same advice – when a patient presents with symptoms, “look for the common thing.” That’s why EDS patients commonly refer to themselves as zebras – and also use the fabulous collective noun “dazzle.” The name represents rarity and evokes the stripy stretch marks that are a common feature on EDS skin. 2022 December 24, CNN:
  5. (derogatory, ethnic, slang, slur) A biracial person, specifically one born to a Sub-Saharan African person and a white person.
    • “People change countries for all kinds of reasons,” Ross tells me. “But at least one of them was that she had this light-skinned, mixed-race child who had already been called a zebra at school.” 2021 April 10, Alex Clark, “‘I’m 51, I can say what I want’: Leone Ross has overcome her fears”, in The Guardian:
  6. (informal) A zebra cichlid (Amatitlania nigrofasciata).
  7. Any of various papilionid butterflies of the subgenus Paranticopsis of the genus Graphium, having black and white markings.
  8. A zebra crossing.
    • On his way home he'd picked up two economy-sized bags of tortilla chips, and had dropped both when a twat in a Lexus honked him on a zebra . . . 2010, Mick Herron, Slow Horses, page 247:
  9. A fairy chess piece that is moved three squares in one direction and two at right angles to that direction in a single move, leaping over any intervening pieces.

Forms

SpellingFeaturesLabelsSource
zebras Number=Plur lexicographic
zebra Number=Plur lexicographic

Deriveds

zebra antelope · zebra striping · common zebra · zeedonk · Selous' zebra · Selous's zebra · zebra seahorse · zebrafish · zebra swallowtail · Grévy's zebra · zebra mule · zebra finch · zebra dove · zebra turkeyfish · zebra-bird · Callisaurus draconoides · zorse · zebra lionfish · zebra butterfly · zebra giraffe · Persian zebra · Grant's zebra · Chapman's zebra · zebra-tailed lizard · zebra mussel · zebra fish · maneless zebra · Hartmann's mountain zebra · zebrine · zebra caterpillar · zebra acara · zebra plant · zebra duiker · Cape mountain zebra · zeehorse · zebra mongoose · zebra opossum · Zululand zebra · zebra mouse · Burchell's zebra · zebra wolf · Crawshay's zebra · zebra parakeet · zebra crossing · zebra parrot · zebra spider · zebra chip · zebralike · zebra-back · zebrawood · zebra blue butterfly · zebra shark · Grevy's zebra · zebra cichlid · zebra cake · mountain zebra · zebroid · Damaraland zebra · zebra danio · plains zebra (Equus quagga · zebrass · zebra haworthia · zebraic · zebra poison

Hyponyms

Burchell's zebra (animal of genus Equus) · fascinoma (unlikely diagnosis) · Grevy's zebra (animal of genus Equus) · plains zebra (animal of genus Equus) · quagga (animal of genus Equus) · mountain zebra (animal of genus Equus)

Relateds

Equus grevyi · quagga · Equus burchelli · Equus zebra · Equus quagga

Translations (173)

hak 斑馬 /斑马 (African animal) · tg гӯрхар (African animal) · udm сюрсовал (African animal) · mn судалт тахь (African animal) · nso pitsi (African animal) · hts dongoko (African animal) · zh 花斑馬 /花斑马 (African animal) · hi गोरखर (African animal) · ar حِمَار وَحْشِيّ (African animal) · br zebr (African animal) · zh 福祿 /福禄 (African animal) · sn mbizi (African animal) · mi hepara (African animal) · sd زيبرو (African animal) · yo kẹ́tẹ́kẹ́tẹ́ abilà (African animal) · yue 斑馬 /斑马 (African animal) · sd زيبرِي (African animal) · ps بييی (African animal) · nrf zèbre (African animal) · sq zebër (African animal) · ru зе́бра (African animal) · lv zebra (African animal) · ms kuda loreng (African animal) · ko 얼룩말 (African animal) · sl zebra (African animal) · an zebra (African animal) · th ม้าลาย (African animal) · mel kudak gahet (African animal) · hts hantaii (African animal) · lo ມ້າລາຍ (African animal) · kg mbizi (African animal) · el όναγρος (African animal) · es cebra (African animal) · eu zebra (African animal) · tk zebra (African animal) · pap zebra (African animal) · udm зебра (African animal) · ms zebra (African animal) · be зе́бра (African animal) · gd asal-stiallach (African animal) · nah cebra (African animal) · sk zebra (African animal) · fr zèbre (African animal) · az zebra (African animal) · xh iqwarhashe (African animal) · ga séabra (African animal) · am የሜዳ አህያ (African animal) · vec xebra (African animal) · ta வரிக்குதிரை (African animal) · br roudenneg (African animal) · sv sebra (African animal) · el ζέβρα (African animal) · la hippotīgris (African animal) · af sebra (African animal) · de Tigerpferd (African animal) · hi जेबरा (African animal) · az گوره خر (African animal) · ar حِمَار الزَّرَد (African animal) · mg zebra (African animal) · chr ᏐᏈᎵ ᏧᎶᎸᏗ (African animal) · chr ᏐᏈᎵ ᏧᎵᏍᏆᏓᏃᎯ (African animal) · pt zebra (African animal) · hi ज़ेब्रा (African animal) · vi ngựa vằn (African animal) · ky зебра (African animal) · mk зе́бра (African animal) · udm кырвал (African animal) · tl sebra (African animal) · chy nêškovávo'ha (African animal) · et sebra (African animal) · az gurəxər (African animal) · nb sebra (African animal) · he זֶבְּרָה (African animal) · pl zebra (African animal) · ja 縞馬 (African animal) · hi जबरा (African animal) · mn эрээн тахь (African animal) · it zebra (African animal) · ve mbiḓi (African animal) · lt zebras (African animal) · fa گورخر (African animal) · ms kuda belang (African animal) · ne जेब्रा (African animal) · es zebra (tsebra, disused) (African animal) · kw zebra (African animal) · bn জেবরা (African animal) · bzs CAVALO^LISTRA (African animal) · ia zebra (African animal) · uz zebra (African animal) · kmr zebra (African animal) · ti ኣድጊ በረኻ (African animal) · az چول آتی (African animal) · hu zebra (African animal) · ar حِمَار وَحْشِيّ مُخَطَّط (African animal) · wo fasu àll wi (African animal) · oc zèbre (African animal) · mn ᠰᠤᠳᠠᠯᠲᠤ ᠲᠠᠬᠢ (African animal) · bg зе́бра (African animal) · unm mamalsit nehënaonkès (African animal) · lb Zebra (African animal) · az zebr (African animal) · ti ዘብራ (African animal) · yi זעברע (African animal) · fa زبرا (African animal) · ln zébélé (African animal) · ses ganjifarka (African animal) · ast cebra (African animal) · sw punda milia (African animal) · hts dongo (African animal) · ttj entulege class 9 (African animal) · el ζέβρος (African animal) · hy զեբր (African animal) · fi seepra (African animal) · lld zebra (African animal) · ca zebra (African animal) · qu siwra (African animal) · mn ᠡᠷᠢᠶᠡᠨ ᠲᠠᠬᠢ (African animal) · my မြင်းကျား (African animal) · li zaeber (African animal) · tr zebra (African animal) · hi जेब्रा (African animal) · kk зебір (African animal) · pdt Zeebra (African animal) · ht zèb (African animal) · hy վագրաձի (African animal) · hi ज़ीब्रा (African animal) · vo sebrad (African animal) · wal harddiidaa (African animal) · sh zebra (African animal) · nv tééh łį́į́ʼ (African animal) · om harre diidoo (African animal) · nn sebra (African animal) · az çölatı (African animal) · is sebrahestur (African animal) · ny mbidzi (African animal) · kk зебра (African animal) · sv zebra (African animal) · as জেব্ৰা (African animal) · zh 斑馬 /斑马 (African animal) · eo zebro (African animal) · da zebra (African animal) · ln mpila (African animal) · niq oloitigo (African animal) · zh 花條馬 /花条马 (African animal) · bo རྐྱང་ཁྲ (African animal) · nl zebra (African animal) · bn জেব্রা (African animal) · tt зебра (African animal) · tg зебра (African animal) · de Zebra (African animal) · as জেবেৰা (African animal) · ka ზებრა (African animal) · dv ޒިބްރާ (African animal) · te చారలగుర్రము (African animal) · sne kuda britik (African animal) · ro zebră (African animal) · zu idube (African animal) · gl cebra (African animal) · zh 斑馬 /斑马 (African animal) · vep zebr (African animal) · naq ǃgoreb (African animal) · wuu 斑馬 /斑马 (African animal) · ja シマウマ (African animal) · cs zebra (African animal) · cy sebra (African animal) · af kwagga (African animal) · uk зе́бра (African animal) · id zebra (African animal) · ms kuda habluk (African animal) · si සීබ්රා (African animal) · km សេះបង្កង់ (African animal) · kl siutituut nimeruaartut (African animal) · sh зебра (African animal)

wikidata: Q32789