ZEBRA


Meaning of ZEBRA in English

I. ˈzēbrə, Brit also ˈzeb- noun

( plural zebras also zebra )

Etymology: Italian, from Spanish cebra, from Old Spanish zebra, zebro, enzebro wild ass, perhaps from (assumed) Vulgar Latin eciferus wild horse, alteration of Latin equiferus, from equus horse + ferus wild — more at equine , fierce

1. : any of several fleet African equine mammals related to the horse and the ass but distinctively and conspicuously patterned in stripes of black or dark brown and white or buff — see burchell's zebra , gr évy's zebra, mountain zebra

2. or zebra butterfly : a black yellow-striped butterfly ( Heliconius charitonius ) of the family Heliconiidae found in southern Florida and the West Indies

3. : any of various objects bearing stripes like those of the zebra

4.

a. : zebra fish

b. : a small southern African sargo ( Diplodus trifasciatus ) highly esteemed for sport and food

II.

Usage: usually capitalized

— a communications code word for the letter z

III. noun

Usage: sometimes capitalized

: a person who officiates a sports contest (as a basketball or football game)

Webster's New International English Dictionary.      Новый международный словарь английского языка Webster.