antelope

noun

an·​te·​lope ˈan-tə-ˌlōp How to pronounce antelope (audio)
plural antelope or antelopes
1
: any of various ruminant deerlike mammals (family Bovidae) chiefly of Africa and southwest Asia that have a slender lean build and usually horns directed upward and backward
2
: leather from antelope hide

Examples of antelope in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
That roster includes dishes like foie gras truffle with charred onion jam and a house croissant; a wild boar belly and antelope with pistachio, fermented harissa, and yogurt; and an Asian pear sorbet with aloe sabayon and ginger tapioca. Nicole Hoey, Robb Report, 12 Sep. 2025 Most travelers associate the Great Migration with East Africa’s Serengeti-Mara ecosystem in Tanzania and Kenya, where millions of blue wildebeest—African antelopes also called gnus—thunder across the savanna each year. Mazuba Kapambwe, AFAR Media, 10 Sep. 2025 The plan was lauded by conservationists for striking a balance between habitat protections for pronghorn antelope, sage grouse, elk, and mule deer while still allowing significant fossil-fuel and renewable-energy developments. Andrew McKean, Outdoor Life, 4 Sep. 2025 Jhala and his co-authors said the lions also prey on pigs and nilgais – a type of antelope - which helps eliminate animals the local farmers consider to be pests. Aishwarya S. Iyer, CNN Money, 31 Aug. 2025 See All Example Sentences for antelope

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, fabulous heraldic beast, probably from Middle French antelop savage animal with sawlike horns, from Medieval Latin anthalopus, from Late Greek antholop-, antholops

First Known Use

1607, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of antelope was in 1607

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Antelope.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/antelope. Accessed 23 Sep. 2025.

Kids Definition

antelope

noun
an·​te·​lope ˈant-ᵊl-ˌōp How to pronounce antelope (audio)
plural antelope or antelopes
1
: any of various cud-chewing mammals chiefly of Africa and southwest Asia that are related to the goats and oxen and that have a slender lean build and usually horns directed upward and backward
2
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