Definition of wildebeest
wildebeests
alsowildebeest
: 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
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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.
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In the northern part of their route, the wildebeest must repeatedly cross the mighty Mara River—and many fail.
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Figuring out how over two million pounds of rotting wildebeest contributes to the river ecosystem is no easy feat.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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It was thought that a local outbreak of a disease called rinderpest had wiped out the zebra and wildebeest that the lions normally preyed on, making the cats desperate enough to prey on humans, who the lions then consumed entirely.
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.
Illustration of wildebeest
Origin and Etymology of wildebeest
Afrikaans wildebees, from wilde wild + bees ox
WILDEBEEST Defined for English Language Learners
wildebeest
playDefinition of wildebeest for English Language Learners
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: a large African animal that has long curving horns
WILDEBEEST Defined for Kids
wildebeest
playDefinition of wildebeest for Students
: a large African antelope with a head like that of an ox, curving horns, a short mane, and long tail
Learn More about wildebeest
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See words that rhyme with wildebeest Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about wildebeest
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