wildebeest

noun wil·de·beest \ ˈwil-də-ˌbēst \

Definition of wildebeest

plural wildebeests also wildebeest

:either of two large African antelopes (Connochaetes gnou and C. taurinus) with a head like that of an ox, short mane, long tail, and horns in both sexes that curve downward and outward — called also gnu

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Recent Examples of wildebeest from the Web

This offers the advantage of a movable camp that can follow the wildlife — something that’s particularly useful during the famed wildebeest migration that takes place from June to mid-November.

— phil marty, chicagotribune.com, "Stay on top of the action with Austin Adventures' new safari," 9 Aug. 2017
Fifty-one local kids ages 6-15 have rehearsed for three weeks and will be playing the parts of lions, giraffes, zebras, wildebeests and more.

— bettina hansen, The Seattle Times, "Young actors roaring in Auburn’s ‘The Lion King Jr.’," 13 July 2017
In the northern part of their route, the wildebeest must repeatedly cross the mighty Mara River—and many fail.

— ed yong, The Atlantic, "The Great Thing About Mass Wildebeest Drownings," 19 June 2017
Figuring out how over two million pounds of rotting wildebeest contributes to the river ecosystem is no easy feat.

— National Geographic, "How 2 Million Pounds of Rotting Flesh Helps the Serengeti," 19 June 2017
Most of the animal bones come from gazelles, but there were also the cut and broken bones of hartebeests, wildebeests, zebras, buffalos, porcupines, hares, tortoises, freshwater mollusks, snakes and ostrich eggs.

— bill lindelof, sacbee.com, "Gazelle with occasional ostrich egg on menu for earliest humans, says UC Davis researcher," 7 June 2017
More than once, the northeast limit of the summer monsoon has moved north, essentially replacing the Sahara with grasslands rich in the kind of wildlife—gazelle, wildebeest, zebra, big cats—whose remains were found in the Irhoud cave.

— alan burdick, The New Yorker, "The Oldest Human Fossils Ever Discovered Have Stories to Tell," 7 June 2017
Known as the Great Migration, the phenomenon involves more than 1 million wildebeest and hundreds of thousands of gazelles, zebras and other animals, which migrate from the Serengeti National Park in Tanzania.

— olivia yasukwa and torera idowu, CNN, "5 of Africa's best national parks," 16 May 2017
In 2014, a team researchers used satellites to study the distribution of polar bears on a small island in the Canadian Arctic, and another used them to observe wildebeests in the open savannah of a national reserve in Kenya.

— marina koren, The Atlantic, "An Albatross Census From Space," 11 May 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'wildebeest.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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Origin and Etymology of wildebeest

Afrikaans wildebees, from wilde wild + bees ox

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First Known Use: circa 1824

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WILDEBEEST Defined for English Language Learners

wildebeest

noun

Definition of wildebeest for English Language Learners

: a large African animal that has long curving horns

WILDEBEEST Defined for Kids

wildebeest

noun wil·de·beest \ ˈwil-də-ˌbēst \

Definition of wildebeest for Students

:a large African antelope with a head like that of an ox, curving horns, a short mane, and long tail

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See words that rhyme with wildebeest Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about wildebeest

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