See Also: zebra(medicine)
zebra(dictionary)
zebra(encyclopedia)
zebra(dictionary)
Zebra Square(tourism)
Green Zebra(tourism)
zebra crossing(dictionary)
zebra mussel(encyclopedia)
zebra fish(encyclopedia)
Grevy's zebra(dictionary)

zebra (iou)



zebra noun. Pl. same, -s. E17.
[Italian, Spanish, Portuguese (earlier zevra), orig. = wild ass, perh. ult. from Latin equiferus, from equus horse + ferus wild.]
Each of three wild African horses which have erect manes and whitish hides that are distinctively striped with black; esp. Equus burchelli, which is abundant on the E. African savannah. Also, the extinct quagga. E17.
BURCHELL'S ZEBRA. GREVY'S ZEBRA. MOUNTAIN zebra.
transf. Any of various things striped like a zebra. E19.
b. A striped prison uniform; a convict wearing such a uniform. arch. slang. L19.
c. = zebra finch below. L19.
d. = zebra crossing below. colloq. M20.
Comb.: zebra angelfish a tropical marine angelfish, Pomacanthus semicirculatus (family Pomacanthidae), of which the juvenile is very dark blue with pale vertical stripes, and the adult is yellowish with blue spots, head, and fins; zebra crossing a pedestrian crossing marked by broad black and white stripes on the road and Belisha beacons on the kerb; zebra danio a small Indian freshwater cyprinid fish, Brachydanio rerio, which has horizontal dark and light stripes and is popular as an aquarium fish; zebra eel an Indo-Pacific eel, Echidna zebra (family Muraenidae), which has a black body with numerous white transverse bands; zebra finch a gregarious Australasian waxbill, Poephila guttata, which has black and white stripes on the face and orange-brown cheeks, and is popular as a cage-bird; zebra firefish an Indo-Pacific scorpion fish, Dendrochirus zebra, which has black and white stripes and dangerously venomous spines; zebra fish any of various striped tropical fishes; esp. the zebra danio, the zebra firefish; zebra mussel a small freshwater bivalve, Dreissena polymorpha, with zigzag markings, native to NE Europe and introduced in western Europe and N. America, sometimes blocking drainpipes; zebra-plant any of several plants with ornamentally striped leaves, e.g. the Brazilian Calathea zebrina (family Marantaceae); zebra scorpion fish = zebra firefish above; zebra spider any of several small striped jumping spiders of the family Salticidae; esp. the common Salticus scenicus; zebra-wolf = THYLACINE; zebrawood any of several kinds of ornamentally striped wood used by cabinet-makers, e.g. that of the tropical tree Connarus guianensis (family Connaraceae); any of the trees or shrubs supplying such wood.
zebraed adjective striped like a zebra M19.
zebrine adjective related to or characteristic of the zebra M19.