antelope

UK /ˈæn.tɪ.ləʊp/ US /ˈæn.tə.loʊp/ Syllables: an-te-lope

Pronunciation

Noun A1 Beginner Neutral

A fast, slender wild animal with horns, related to deer and cattle, found mainly in Africa.

An antelope is a fast, slender animal with long legs and horns that lives mostly in Africa and parts of Asia. It belongs to the same big group of animals as cattle and goats, and it runs fast to escape lions and other hunters. There are many kinds, from tiny dik-diks to large elands. Antelopes usually live in herds on grasslands. The plural can be antelope or antelopes, and both are used.

"The antelope bolted the moment it sensed the lion nearby."

Example sentences

"The antelope sprang away when it heard the lion."

Level A2
"A herd of antelope crossed the river."

Level A2
"The antelope has long, thin legs."

Level A1
"We saw an antelope on our safari."

Level A2

Look-alikes and common mistakes

deer : A deer has antlers that fall off each year. An antelope has horns that stay for life.
gazelle : A gazelle is a kind of antelope, small and quick.

Word family and forms

Forms: antelopes

gazelle impala herd

Word partners

Words and phrases that often go with "antelope".

a herd of antelope
an African antelope
a fast antelope
antelope horns
hunt an antelope
antelope and zebra

Origin

Antelope came into English in the 1400s from Old French and Medieval Latin, which took the word from Medieval Greek anthalops. The earlier origin of the Greek word is unclear. It named a fabled animal long before it was used for the African animals we call antelopes today.

Checked against: Wiktionary, the free dictionary, Dictionary.com.

How to remember it

Antelope has a lope at the end, and a lope is a long running stride. Antelopes lope across the grass.

Test yourself

Which word fits the gap? "The _____ sprang away when it heard the lion."

Answer: antelope

In your own words, what does "antelope" mean?