bontebok

[ bon-tee-bok ]

noun

, plural bon·te·boks, (especially collectively) bon·te·bok.

1. a purplish-red antelope, Damaliscus dorcas, of southern Africa, having a white face and rump: now nearly extinct.

bontebok

/ ˈbɒntɪˌbʌk /

noun

1. an antelope, Damaliscus pygargus (or dorcas ), of southern Africa, having a deep reddish-brown coat with a white blaze, tail, and rump patch

Word History and Origins

Origin of bontebok¹

1780–90; < Afrikaans, equivalent to bont piebald (≪ Medieval Latin punctus dotted; point ) + bok buck ¹

Word History and Origins

Origin of bontebok¹

C18: Afrikaans, from bont pied + bok buck ¹

Example Sentences

They had arrived in the “zuur-veldt,” the country of the sour grass—the favourite home of the blesbok and bontebok.

From Project Gutenberg

The legs of the bontebok are white from the knee down, while those of his congener are only white on the insides—the outsides being brown.

From Project Gutenberg

The bontebok is not only one of the loveliest antelopes in Africa, but one of the swiftest.

From Project Gutenberg

Such is the colour of the bontebok, and that of the blesbok differs from it only in the points already mentioned, and in its colours being somewhat less marked and brilliant.

From Project Gutenberg

The colours of the bontebok are purple violet and brown of every shade—not mingling together, but marking the body as if laid on by the brush of a sign-painter.

From Project Gutenberg