dik-dik

dik–dik

noun \ˈdik-ˌdik\

plural dik–diks or dik–dik

Definition of DIK-DIK

: any of a genus (Madoqua) of small antelopes of eastern and southern Africa having an elongated snout

Illustration of DIK-DIK

Origin of DIK-DIK

origin unknown

First Known Use: 1883

dik-dik

noun    (Concise Encyclopedia)

Dik-dik (Madoqua)—Jack Cannon—Ostman Agency

Any of four species of delicate African antelope (genus Madoqua), named for the sound it makes when alarmed. It stands 12–16 in. (30–40 cm) high at the shoulder and weighs 7–11 lbs (3–5 kg). It has an elongated snout and a soft coat that is gray or brownish above, white below. The hair on the crown forms an upright tuft and may partially conceal the short, ringed horns of the male. Dik-diks live in dry areas of dense brush in southern and eastern Africa, and feed chiefly on acacia and other shrubs.