Wiktionary

zebra

See also: Zebra, zébra, zebră, zebrā, zebrą, żebra, and žebra

English Edit

 
English Wikipedia has an article on:
Wikipedia
 
Zebra

Etymology Edit

1600; borrowed from Italian zebra, from Portuguese zebra, zebro (“zebra”), from Old Galician-Portuguese enzebro, ezebra, azebra (“wild ass”), from earlier cebrario (882), ezebrario (897), from Vulgar Latin *eciferus, from Latin equiferus (“wild horse”) (Pliny), from equus (“horse”) + ferus (“wild”).(Can this(+) etymology be sourced?)

While the word was traditionally pronounced with a long vowel in the first syllable in standard English, during the twentieth century a vowel shift occurred in regions of England, with the shortening of the first vowel.[1] This pronunciation is now used throughout the UK and most Commonwealth nations. The long-vowel pronunciation remains standard in Canadian and American English.

(referee): In reference to the black and white striped shirts they wear.

Pronunciation Edit

  • (UK, Commonwealth) IPA(key): /ˈzɛbɹə/
    • Audio (UK)(file)
    • Hyphenation: zeb‧ra
  • (Canadian, US and traditional British English) IPA(key): /ˈziːbɹə/
    • Audio (US)(file)
    • Hyphenation: ze‧bra
  • Rhymes: (UK, Commonwealth) -ɛbɹə, -iːbɹə

Noun Edit

zebra (plural zebra or zebras)

  1. Any of three species of subgenus Hippotigris: E. grevyi, E. quagga, or E. zebra, all with black and white stripes and native to Africa.
  2. (sports, slang) A referee.
  3. (medicine, slang) An unlikely diagnosis, especially for symptoms probably caused by a common ailment. (Originates in the advice often given to medical students: "when you hear hoofbeats, think of horses, not zebras".)
  4. (medicine, by extension) Someone who has Ehlers-Danlos syndrome or hypermobility spectrum disorder
    • 2020, Pharmaceutical Technology‎[2]:
      EDS charities around the world use a zebra logo to promote the idea that sometimes it really is that ‘rare’ condition.
    • 2022 December 24, CNN‎[3]:
      “I was told in medical school, ‘when you hear hoofbeats think horses, not zebras,’” she says. Many trainee doctors receive the same advice – when a patient presents with symptoms, “look for the common thing.” That’s why EDS patients commonly refer to themselves as zebras – and also use the fabulous collective noun “dazzle.” The name represents rarity and evokes the stripy stretch marks that are a common feature on EDS skin.
  5. (vulgar, derogatory, slang, ethnic slur) A biracial person, specifically one born to a member of the Sub-Saharan African race and a Caucasian.
    • 2021 April 10, Alex Clark, “‘I’m 51, I can say what I want’: Leone Ross has overcome her fears”, in The Guardian:
      “People change countries for all kinds of reasons,” Ross tells me. “But at least one of them was that she had this light-skinned, mixed-race child who had already been called a zebra at school.”
  6. (informal) A fish, the zebra cichlid.
  7. Any of various papilionid butterflies of the subgenus Paranticopsis of the genus Graphium, having black and white markings.
  8. A zebra crossing.
    • 2010, Mick Herron, Slow Horses, page 247:
      On his way home he'd picked up two economy-sized bags of tortilla chips, and had dropped both when a twat in a Lexus honked him on a zebra . . .

Usage notes Edit

  • (biracial person): The term zebra, as used in its pejorative sense, was popularized on the television situation comedy The Jeffersons. The term was used by the series protagonist, George Jefferson (Sherman Hemsley), to express disdain for his daughter-in-law, Jenny Willis Jefferson, whose father was white and mother was black.

Hyponyms Edit

Derived terms Edit

Translations Edit

See also Edit

References Edit

  1. ^ Wells, John (1997), “Our changing pronunciation”, in Transactions of the Yorkshire Dialect Society‎[1], retrieved 6 February 2014, pages xix.42-48

Anagrams Edit

Basque Edit

Etymology Edit

Borrowed from Spanish cebra.

Pronunciation Edit

 
  • IPA(key): (most dialects) /s̻ebra/ [s̻e.β̞ra]
  • IPA(key): (Biscayan) /s̺ebra/ [s̺e.β̞ra]

  • Audio(file)
  • Rhymes: -ebra
  • Hyphenation: ze‧bra

Noun Edit

zebra anim

  1. zebra

Declension Edit

Declension of zebra (animate, ending in -a)
indefinite singular plural
absolutive zebra zebra zebrak
ergative zebrak zebrak zebrek
dative zebrari zebrari zebrei
genitive zebraren zebraren zebren
comitative zebrarekin zebrarekin zebrekin
causative zebrarengatik zebrarengatik zebrengatik
benefactive zebrarentzat zebrarentzat zebrentzat
instrumental zebraz zebraz zebrez
inessive zebrarengan zebrarengan zebrengan
locative — — —
allative zebrarengana zebrarengana zebrengana
terminative zebrarenganaino zebrarenganaino zebrenganaino
directive zebrarenganantz zebrarenganantz zebrenganantz
destinative zebrarenganako zebrarenganako zebrenganako
ablative zebrarengandik zebrarengandik zebrengandik
partitive zebrarik — —
prolative zebratzat — —

Derived terms Edit

Further reading Edit

  • "zebra" in Euskaltzaindiaren Hiztegia [Dictionary of the Basque Academy], euskaltzaindia.eus
  • “zebra” in Orotariko Euskal Hiztegia [General Basque Dictionary], euskaltzaindia.eus

Catalan Edit

 
Catalan Wikipedia has an article on:
Wikipedia ca

Etymology Edit

Inherited from Old Catalan atzebra, from Old Galician-Portuguese *ezevra, *ezevro.

Pronunciation Edit

Noun Edit

zebra f (plural zebres)

  1. zebra

Derived terms Edit

Further reading Edit

Cebuano Edit

Etymology Edit

Borrowed from English zebra, from Italian zebra, from Portuguese zebra, zebro (“zebra”), from Old Galician-Portuguese enzebro, ezebra, azebra (“wild ass”), from earlier cebrario (882), ezebrario (897), from Vulgar Latin *eciferus, from Latin equiferus (“wild horse”) (Pliny), from equus (“horse”) + ferus (“wild”).

Noun Edit

zebra

  1. a zebra; any of three species of genus Equus: E. grevyi, E. quagga, or E. zebra, all with black and white stripes and native to Africa
  2. a pattern or motif similar to the stripes of a zebra
  3. (informal) an animal with zebra-like stripes

Corsican Edit

Etymology Edit

From Portuguese zebra (“wild horse”), from zebro, from Old Galician-Portuguese zevro, from *ezevro, from Vulgar Latin *eciferus, from Latin *equiferus, from equus (“horse”) + ferus (“wild”).

Pronunciation Edit

Noun Edit

zebra f (plural zebre)

  1. Alternative form of zebru

References Edit

Czech Edit

 
Czech Wikipedia has an article on:
Wikipedia cs

Pronunciation Edit

Noun Edit

zebra f

  1. zebra

Declension Edit

Declension of zebra (hard feminine reducible)
singular plural
nominative zebra zebry
genitive zebry zeber
dative zebře zebrám
accusative zebru zebry
vocative zebro zebry
locative zebře zebrách
instrumental zebrou zebrami

Derived terms Edit

Further reading Edit

  • zebra in Příruční slovník jazyka českého, 1935–1957
  • zebra in Slovník spisovného jazyka českého, 1960–1971, 1989

Danish Edit

 
Danish Wikipedia has an article on:
Wikipedia da

Noun Edit

zebra c (singular definite zebraen, plural indefinite zebraer)

  1. zebra

Dutch Edit

 
Drie zebra's. — Three zebras (sense 1).
 
Een zekere zebra in Londen. — A certain zebra crossing in London.

Etymology Edit

Borrowed from Portuguese zebra, from Vulgar Latin *eciferus, from Latin equiferus (“wild horse”). The second sense is a shortening of zebrapad.

Pronunciation Edit

  • IPA(key): /ˈzeː.braː/
  • Audio(file)
  • Hyphenation: ze‧bra

Noun Edit

zebra m (plural zebra's, diminutive zebraatje n)

  1. A zebra, a black-and-white striped equid of the genus Equus; Equus zebra, Equus quagga or Equus grevyi. [from late 16th c.]
  2. A zebra crossing, a pedestrian crossing. [from mid 1950s.]
    Synonym: zebrapad

Hypernyms Edit

Hyponyms Edit

Derived terms Edit

Esperanto Edit

Etymology Edit

From zebro (“zebra”) +‎ -a.

Adjective Edit

zebra (accusative singular zebran, plural zebraj, accusative plural zebrajn)

  1. zebrine, hippotigrine

Hypernyms Edit

Hungarian Edit

 
Zebra [1].
 
Zebra [2].

Pronunciation Edit

  • IPA(key): [ˈzɛbrɒ]
  • Hyphenation: zeb‧ra
  • Rhymes: -rɒ

Noun Edit

zebra (plural zebrák)

  1. (biology) zebra (animal)
  2. (road transport) pedestrian crossing, crosswalk, zebra crossing

Declension Edit

Inflection (stem in long/high vowel, back harmony)
singular plural
nominative zebra zebrák
accusative zebrát zebrákat
dative zebrának zebráknak
instrumental zebrával zebrákkal
causal-final zebráért zebrákért
translative zebrává zebrákká
terminative zebráig zebrákig
essive-formal zebraként zebrákként
essive-modal — —
inessive zebrában zebrákban
superessive zebrán zebrákon
adessive zebránál zebráknál
illative zebrába zebrákba
sublative zebrára zebrákra
allative zebrához zebrákhoz
elative zebrából zebrákból
delative zebráról zebrákról
ablative zebrától zebráktól
non-attributive
possessive - singular 		zebráé zebráké
non-attributive
possessive - plural 		zebráéi zebrákéi
Possessive forms of zebra
possessor single possession multiple possessions
1st person sing. zebrám zebráim
2nd person sing. zebrád zebráid
3rd person sing. zebrája zebrái
1st person plural zebránk zebráink
2nd person plural zebrátok zebráitok
3rd person plural zebrájuk zebráik

Synonyms Edit

Derived terms Edit

(Compound words):

Further reading Edit

  • zebra in Bárczi, Géza and László Országh. A magyar nyelv értelmező szótára (‘The Explanatory Dictionary of the Hungarian Language’, abbr.: ÉrtSz.). Budapest: Akadémiai Kiadó, 1959–1962. Fifth ed., 1992: →ISBN

Indonesian Edit

Noun Edit

zebra (first-person possessive zebraku, second-person possessive zebramu, third-person possessive zebranya)

  1. zebra
  2. zebra walk

Italian Edit

Pronunciation Edit

  • IPA(key): */ˈd͡zɛ.bra/
  • Rhymes: -ɛbra
  • Hyphenation: zè‧bra

Noun Edit

zebra f (plural zebre)

  1. zebra
  2. (in the plural, informal) zebra crossing/crosswalk

Kashubian Edit

 
Zebra.

Etymology Edit

Borrowed from Polish zebra.

Pronunciation Edit

  • IPA(key): /ˈzɛbra/
  • Hyphenation: zeb‧ra

Noun Edit

zebra f

  1. zebra (striped mammal of the genus Equus)

References Edit

  • Eùgeniusz Gòłąbk (2011), “zebra”, in Słownik Polsko-Kaszubski / Słowôrz Pòlskò-Kaszëbsczi

Ladin Edit

Noun Edit

zebra f (plural zebres)

  1. zebra

Latin Edit

Pronunciation Edit

Noun Edit

zebra f (genitive zebrae); first declension

  1. (New Latin) zebra (Equus zebra)

Declension Edit

First-declension noun.

Case Singular Plural
Nominative zebra zebrae
Genitive zebrae zebrārum
Dative zebrae zebrīs
Accusative zebram zebrās
Ablative zebrā zebrīs
Vocative zebra zebrae

Latvian Edit

 zebra on Latvian Wikipedia
 
Zebra

Etymology Edit

Possibly ultimately from a Congolese name for the animal, via Portuguese, via some other European language. Possibly also ultimately from Latin equiferus (“wild horse”), via Portuguese and/or Italian.

Pronunciation Edit

Noun Edit

zebra f (4th declension)

  1. zebra (esp. Equus zebra)

Declension Edit

Declension of zebra (4th declension)
singular (vienskaitlis) plural (daudzskaitlis)
nominative (nominatīvs) zebra zebras
accusative (akuzatīvs) zebru zebras
genitive (ģenitīvs) zebras zebru
dative (datīvs) zebrai zebrām
instrumental (instrumentālis) zebru zebrām
locative (lokatīvs) zebrā zebrās
vocative (vokatīvs) zebra zebras

Polish Edit

 
Polish Wikipedia has an article on:
Wikipedia pl

Pronunciation Edit

Noun Edit

zebra f

  1. zebra (animal)
  2. (colloquial) zebra crossing
    Synonyms: przejście dla pieszych, pasy

Declension Edit

Declension of zebra
singular plural
nominative zebra zebry
genitive zebry zebr
dative zebrze zebrom
accusative zebrę zebry
instrumental zebrą zebrami
locative zebrze zebrach
vocative zebro zebry

Descendants Edit

  • → Kashubian: zebra

Further reading Edit

  • zebra in Wielki słownik języka polskiego, Instytut Języka Polskiego PAN
  • zebra in Polish dictionaries at PWN

Portuguese Edit

 
Portuguese Wikipedia has an article on:
Wikipedia pt
 
zebra (Equus quagga antiquorum) (sense 1)
 
zebra (sense 5)
 
zebra (sense 6)
 
zebra (sense 9)

Etymology 1 Edit

From zebro, from Old Galician-Portuguese zebro, ezebro (“European wild ass”), from Vulgar Latin *eciferus, from Latin equiferus (“wild horse”), from equus (“horse”) + ferus (“wild”). Compare Spanish cebra.

Senses 2 and 3 of the word comes from the popular Brazilian betting game jogo do bicho, in which the animal is abscent, therefore it is unlikely that a zebra will be drawn.

Pronunciation Edit

 

  • Hyphenation: ze‧bra

Noun Edit

zebra f (plural zebras)

  1. zebra
  2. (Brazil, slang) A victorious competitor initially thought unlikely to win, especially in sports; an underdog
    Synonym: azarão
    Aquele time ganhou quando todo mundo pensou que ele iria perder, mas que zebra!
    That [soccer] team won when everyone else thought they were going to lose, what an underdog!
  3. (Brazil, slang) an unexpected result in a competition
  4. (Brazil, derogatory) idiot, stupid
    Synonym: burro
  5. (Brazil, informal) prison uniform
  6. (Portugal, informal) zebra crossing
  7. (Portugal, informal) vice, a bad habit
  8. (Beira) a type of lanky spinning top
  9. (motor racing) curb (line of flat curbstones on the corners of racing tracks)
  10. zebra pattern
  11. (obsolete) cow
Usage notes Edit
  • The gender of this Portuguese word is always feminine. When the gender of the being itself must be specified, use “zebra macho” for male, and “zebra fêmea” for female.
Quotations Edit

For quotations using this term, see Citations:zebra.

Derived terms Edit
Related terms Edit
Descendants Edit

Etymology 2 Edit

See the etymology of the corresponding lemma form.

Pronunciation Edit

 

  • Hyphenation: ze‧bra

Verb Edit

zebra

  1. inflection of zebrar:
    1. third-person singular present indicative
    2. second-person singular imperative

Further reading Edit

Serbo-Croatian Edit

Pronunciation Edit

Noun Edit

zȅbra f (Cyrillic spelling зе̏бра)

  1. zebra

Declension Edit

Declension of zebra
singular plural
nominative zebra zebre
genitive zebre zebra
dative zebri zebrama
accusative zebru zebre
vocative zebro zebre
locative zebri zebrama
instrumental zebrom zebrama

Slovene Edit

Pronunciation Edit

  • IPA(key): /zèːbra/, /zéːbra/

Noun Edit

zẹ̄bra f

  1. zebra

Inflection Edit

 
 The diacritics used in this section of the entry are non-tonal. If you are a native tonal speaker, please help by adding the tonal marks.
Feminine, a-stem
nom. sing. zébra
gen. sing. zébre
singular dual plural
nominative
(imenovȃlnik) 		zébra zébri zébre
genitive
(rodȋlnik) 		zébre zéber zéber
dative
(dajȃlnik) 		zébri zébrama zébram
accusative
(tožȋlnik) 		zébro zébri zébre
locative
(mẹ̑stnik) 		zébri zébrah zébrah
instrumental
(orọ̑dnik) 		zébro zébrama zébrami

Further reading Edit

  • “zebra”, in Slovarji Inštituta za slovenski jezik Frana Ramovša ZRC SAZU, portal Fran

Spanish Edit

Noun Edit

zebra f (plural zebras)

  1. Obsolete spelling of cebra

Further reading Edit

Swedish Edit

Alternative forms Edit

Noun Edit

zebra c

  1. zebra

Declension Edit

Declension of zebra 
Singular Plural
Indefinite Definite Indefinite Definite
Nominative zebra zebran zebror zebrorna
Genitive zebras zebrans zebrors zebrornas

References Edit

Turkish Edit

Etymology Edit

Borrowed from Italian zebra.

Pronunciation Edit

  • IPA(key): [ˈzeb.ɾɑ]
  • Hyphenation: zeb‧ra

Noun Edit

zebra (definite accusative zebrayı, plural zebralar)

  1. zebra

Declension Edit

Inflection
Nominative zebra
Definite accusative zebrayı
Singular Plural
Nominative zebra zebralar
Definite accusative zebrayı zebraları
Dative zebraya zebralara
Locative zebrada zebralarda
Ablative zebradan zebralardan
Genitive zebranın zebraların
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