okapi

[ oh-kah-pee ]

noun

, plural o·ka·pis, (especially collectively) o·ka·pi.

1. an African mammal, Okapia johnstoni, closely related to and resembling the giraffe, but smaller and with a much shorter neck.

okapi

/ əʊˈkɑːpɪ /

noun

1. a ruminant mammal, Okapia johnstoni, of the forests of central Africa, having a reddish-brown coat with horizontal white stripes on the legs and small horns: family Giraffidae

Word History and Origins

Origin of okapi¹

1900; < Bambuba (Mvu’ba), a Central Sudanic language of the NE Democratic Republic of the Congo (or < a related Pygmy dial.), according to English Africanist Harry Johnston (1858–1927), author of the first zoological descriptions of the animal

Word History and Origins

Origin of okapi¹

C20: from a Central African word

Example Sentences

A survivor told Radio Okapi that the boat, which had left the city of Mbandaka for the Bolomba area in the north-western Equateur province, stalled and lost balance due to overcrowding.

From BBC

UN-linked Radio Okapi reports that the provincial government of Equateur, where the accident happened, said it would provide psychological support for children who were injured in the accident and lost their parents.

From BBC

The "incredibly special" birth of an okapi will help to reveal "one of the least known and understood species on the planet", a keeper has said.

From BBC

Chester Zoo said Arabi, a six-week-old female, had been named after a village in DRC's Okapi Wildlife Reserve.

From BBC

The zoo and its partners in the DRC, where the animals are protected by law, have been working to support the last remaining populations of okapi, which is endangered in the wild.

From BBC