saiga

American  

[sahy-guh] / ˈsaɪ gə /

noun

1. a goatlike antelope, Saiga tatarica, of western Asia and eastern Russia, having a greatly enlarged muzzle.

---

saiga British  

/ ˈsaɪɡə /

noun

1. either of two antelopes, Saiga tatarica or S. mongolica, of the plains of central Asia, having an enlarged slightly elongated nose

---

Etymology

Origin of saiga

1795–1805; (< New Latin ) < Russian saĭgá ( k ) < Turkic; compare Chagatai sayğak

Example Sentences

To get a sense of just how far this species has come, in 2015, more than half of the worldwide population of saiga antelope were lost to a mysterious blood disease.

From National Geographic • Dec. 14, 2023

Just two decades ago, it seemed as if we might need to write a eulogy for the saiga antelope.

From National Geographic • Dec. 14, 2023

“The thing about saiga is the local people really love it,” says Milner-Gulland.

From National Geographic • Dec. 14, 2023

The saiga has seen a dramatic turnaround in fortunes.

From BBC • Jul. 3, 2021

Saic points to saiga, which, according to Dupré de St. Maur, is in the Salic laws the equivalent of a denier or the twelfth part of a sol.

From The Travels of Marco Polo — Volume 1 by Yule, Henry