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gnu

/nu/
/nu/
IPA guide

Other forms: gnus

Have you heard the gnus? A gnu (the "g" is silent) is a large animal with hooves that's found in the southernmost part of Africa. You can see gnus in zoos.

A gnu is the same thing as a wildebeest — gnu comes from the Dutch gnoe, which has roots in the Khoisan i-ngu and the Southern Bushman !nu: (with the ! and : representing clicks). Gnus are related to antelopes, sharing their long legs, curved horns, and hooves. The official term for a group of gnus is a herd, although many writers prefer the unofficial term "an implausibility of gnus."

Definitions of gnu
  1. noun
    large African antelope having a head with horns like an ox and a long tufted tail
    synonyms: wildebeest
    see moresee less
    type of:
    antelope
    graceful Old World ruminant with long legs and horns directed upward and backward; includes gazelles; springboks; impalas; addax; gerenuks; blackbucks; dik-diks
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