Nilgai definition

nĭlgī
nilgais
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A large brown or bluish-gray antelope (Boselaphus tragocamelus) native to India, Nepal, and Pakistan, the male of which has short, sturdy horns and strands of long hair hanging down from the throat.
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A large, gray Indian antelope (Boselaphus tragocamelus): the male has short, straight horns and a black mane.
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A large antelope, of the genus Boselaphus, from northern India; the blue bull.
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Other Word Forms

Noun

Singular:
nilgai
Plural:
nilgais

Origin of nilgai

  • Hindi nīlgāī feminine of nīlgāw nīl dark blue (from Sanskrit nīla-) gāw ox, cow (from Sanskrit gauḥ gwou- in Indo-European roots)

    From American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition

Nilgai Sentence Examples

  • The nilgai is about the size of a mule.

  • The first group, or Tragelaphinae, is represented by the African elands (Taurotragus), bongo (Boocercus), kudus (Strepsiceros) and bushbucks or harnessed antelopes (Tragelaphus), and the Indian nilgai (Boselaphus).

  • The small horns and bluish-grey colour of the adult bulls serve to distinguish the Indian nilgai, Boselaphus tragocamelus, from the other members of the subfamily.

  • The nilgai, or blue cow (Boselaephus tragocamelus) is also widely distributed, but specially abounds in Hindustan Proper and Gujarat.

  • The nilgai is held peculiarly sacred by Hindus, from its fancied kinship to the cow, and on this account its destructive inroads upon the crops are tolerated.

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