WORDLE ENGLISH

zebra

5 letters·English

zebra—Any of three species of subgenus Hippotigris: Equus grevyi, Equus quagga, or Equus zebra, all with black and white stripes and native to Africa.

Wiktionary →

/ˈzɛbɹə/, /ˈziːbɹə/, /ˈzibrɑ/

Origin

First attested in 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”). 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. This pronunciation is now used throughout the UK and most Commonwealth nations. The long-vowel pronunciation remains standard in Canadian and American English and is used in the UK only by some older, conservative RP speakers. (unlikely diagnosis): Originates in the advice often given to medical students, "when you hear hoofbeats, think of horses, not zebras". (referee): In reference to the black and white striped shirts they wear.

noun

Any of three species of subgenus Hippotigris: Equus grevyi, Equus quagga, or Equus zebra, all with black and white stripes and native to Africa.
“A group of zebras can be called a dazzle.”
slangA referee.
slangAn unlikely diagnosis, especially for symptoms probably caused by a common ailment.
“"It's a zebra! George. OK, I should explain. A zebra is..." "Medical slang for coming to an exotic diagnosis when a more simple explanation is more likely." "That's right. I was convinced that George,”
broadlySomeone who has Ehlers-Danlos syndrome or hypermobility spectrum disorder
“EDS charities around the world use a zebra logo to promote the idea that sometimes it really is that ‘rare’ condition.”
““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”
informalA zebra cichlid (Amatitlania nigrofasciata).
Any of various papilionid butterflies of the subgenus Paranticopsis of the genus Graphium, having black and white markings.
A zebra crossing.
“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 . . .”
A fairy chess piece that is moved three squares in one direction and two at right angles to that direction in a single move, leaping over any intervening pieces.
radiotelephony clear-code word for the letter Z.