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oryx
oryx , name for several small, horselike antelopes , genus Oryx, found in deserts and arid scrublands of Africa and Arabia. They feed on grasses and scrub and can go without water for long periods. Oryxes are light in color with dark patches on the face and legs. They have slight shoulder humps, tufted tails, and straight or slightly curved slender horns that point backward. The common oryx ( O. gazella ) ranges from S Africa along the east coast to Tanzania. It is beige with black or brown markings. The variety found in the southern part of this range has extremely long horns and is known as the gemsbok; a large male gemsbok stands more than 4 ft (120 cm) at the shoulder and weighs up to 450 lb (200 kg). The E African variety is smaller, with shorter horns, and is called the beisa. The white, or scimitar-horned, oryx ( O. tao ) of the N African deserts has long, back-curved horns; it is nearly white with chestnut markings. The Arabian, or Beatrix, oryx ( O. leucoryx ) is the smallest oryx, standing up to 40 in. (100 cm) high. It is white with dark brown and black markings. The Arabian oryxes once ranged over the deserts of SW Asia and were hunted by nomads for flesh and hides. However, they have been nearly exterminated in the 20th cent. by hunting from automobiles. A small population survives in Oman, and a number are breeding successfully in zoos. The oryx is classified in the phylum Chordata , subphylum Vertebrata, class Mammalia, order Artiodactyla, family Bovidae. |
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"oryx." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.. 2008. Encyclopedia.com. 10 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "oryx." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.. 2008. Encyclopedia.com. (February 10, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1E1-oryx.html "oryx." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.. 2008. Retrieved February 10, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1E1-oryx.html |
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oryx
oryx (gemsbok) Any of four species of antelopes. The male has a tuft of hair at the throat and both sexes have horns ringed at the base. Two species are almost extinct, but the other two survive in numbers in Africa. Height: 1.2m (4ft). Family Bovidae.
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"oryx." World Encyclopedia. 2005. Encyclopedia.com. 10 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "oryx." World Encyclopedia. 2005. Encyclopedia.com. (February 10, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O142-oryx.html "oryx." World Encyclopedia. 2005. Retrieved February 10, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O142-oryx.html |
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oryx
oryx species of antelope. XIV. — L. — Gr. órux stonemason's pickaxe, applied to an antelope or gazelle having pointed horns.
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T. F. HOAD. "oryx." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Encyclopedia.com. 10 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. T. F. HOAD. "oryx." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Encyclopedia.com. (February 10, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O27-oryx.html T. F. HOAD. "oryx." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Retrieved February 10, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O27-oryx.html |
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oryx
oryx •admix, affix, commix, fix, Hicks, intermix, MI6, mix, nix, Nyx, pix, Pnyx, prix fixe, pyx, Ricks, six, Styx, transfix, Wicks
•Aquarobics • radix • appendix
•crucifix • suffix • Alex • calyx
•Felix, helix
•kylix • Horlicks • prolix • spondulicks
•hydromechanics • phoenix
•Ebonics, onyx
•mechatronics • sardonyx
•Paralympics • semi-tropics
•subtropics • Hendrix
•dominatrix, matrix
•administratrix • oryx • tortrix
•executrix • Beatrix • cicatrix
•Essex, Wessex
•kinesics • coccyx • Sussex
•informatics, mathematics
•Dianetics • geopolitics • bioethics
•cervix • astrophysics • yikes
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Cite this article
"oryx." Oxford Dictionary of Rhymes. 2007. Encyclopedia.com. 10 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "oryx." Oxford Dictionary of Rhymes. 2007. Encyclopedia.com. (February 10, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O233-oryx.html "oryx." Oxford Dictionary of Rhymes. 2007. Retrieved February 10, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O233-oryx.html |
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