zebra

views updated Jun 27 2018

ze·bra / ˈzēbrə/ • n. 1. an African wild horse with black-and-white stripes and an erect mane. Three species: the common zebra (Equus burchellii), Grevy's zebra (E. grevyi), and the mountain zebra (E. zebra). 2. a large butterfly with pale bold stripes on a dark background, in particular: a yellow and black American butterfly (Heliconius charitonius, family Nymphalidae). 3. (also zebra fish) a silvery-gold sea bream (Diplodus cervinus) with vertical black stripes.ORIGIN: early 17th cent.: from Italian, Spanish, or Portuguese, originally in the sense ‘wild ass,’ perhaps ultimately from Latin equiferus, from equus ‘horse’ + ferus ‘wild.’

The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English

zebra

views updated Jun 08 2018

zebra Any of three species of strikingly patterned, striped, black-and-white, equine mammals of the grasslands of Africa; the stripes are arranged in various patterns, according to species. It has long ears, a tufted tail, and narrow hooves. Height: to 140cm (55in) at the shoulder. Family Equidae; genus Equus.

World Encyclopedia

zebra

views updated Jun 27 2018

zebra See EQUIDAE.

A Dictionary of Zoology MICHAEL ALLABY

ZEBRA

views updated May 21 2018

ZEBRA (ˈziːbrə) Nuclear engineering zero-energy breeder-reactor assembly

The Oxford Dictionary of Abbreviations FRAN ALEXANDER , PETER BLAIR , JOHN DAINTITH , ALICE GRANDISON , VALERIE ILLINGWORTH , ELIZABETH MARTIN , ANNE STIBBS , JUDY PEARSALL , and SARA TULLOCH