scimitar oryx
or scim·i·tar-horned o·ryx
[ sim-i-ter awr-iks or sim-i-ter-hawrnd awr-iks ]
/ ˈsɪm ɪ tər ˈɔr ɪks or ˈsɪm ɪ tərˌhɔrnd ˈɔr ɪks /
noun plural scim·i·tar o·ryx·es, (especially collectively) scim·i·tar o·ryx.
a large antelope, Oryx dammah, once widespread across North Africa, noted especially for its thin, backward-curving, symmetrical horns, which can reach a length of nearly 4 feet (1.2 meters) on both the males and females: hunted nearly to extinction for its horns, it is now believed to exist only in special reserves and was thus classified as extinct in the wild in 2000.
Also called
Sa·har·a o·ryx
[suh-har-uh awr-iks, suh-hair-uh, suh-hahr-uh] /səˈhær ə ˈɔr ɪks, səˈhɛər ə, səˈhɑr ə/.
Origin of scimitar oryx
First recorded in 1900–05. The variant
scimitar-horned oryx was first recorded in 1845–50
Words nearby scimitar oryx
scillism,
scillonian,
scilly isles,
scimitar,
scimitar foot,
scimitar oryx,
scimitar sign,
scincoid,
scindapsus,
scinticisternography,
scintigram