zebroid, adj. & n.

zebroid
http://www.oed.com/dictionary/zebroid_adj%3Ftab%3Dmeaning_and_use
Revised 2018

# zebroidadjective & noun

## Earlier version

- zebroid, a. and n. in OED Second Edition (1989)

## Factsheet

### What does the word zebroid mean?

There are three meanings listed in OED's entry for the word zebroid. See ‘Meaning & use’ for definitions, usage, and quotation evidence.

zebroid has developed meanings and uses in subjects including

animals (1890s) horses and riding (1890s)

### How common is the word zebroid?

Fewer than 0.01occurrences per million words in modern written English

1880 | 0.0016
1890 | 0.0018
1900 | 0.0017
1910 | 0.0016
1920 | 0.0019
1930 | 0.0022
1940 | 0.0022
1950 | 0.0019
1960 | 0.0018
1970 | 0.0017
1980 | 0.0017
1990 | 0.0016
2000 | 0.0015
2010 | 0.001

### How is the word zebroid pronounced?

#### British English

/ˈzɛbrɔɪd/
ZEB-royd
/ˈziːbrɔɪd/
ZEE-broyd

#### U.S. English

/ˈziˌbrɔɪd/
ZEE-broyd

### Where does the word zebroid come from?

Earliest known use

1880s

The earliest known use of the word zebroid is in the 1880s.

OED's earliest evidence for zebroid is from 1881, in the writing of E. A. Smith.

zebroid is formed within English, by derivation.

Etymons: zebra n., ‑oid suffix.

### Nearby entries

1. zebra shark, n. 1804–
2. zebra skin, n. 1774–
3. zebra spider, n. 1806–
4. zebra suit, n. 1853–
5. zebra swallowtail, n. 1855–
6. zebra wolf, n. 1808–
7. zebrawood, n. 1768–
8. zebra woodpecker, n. 1884–
9. zebrina, n. 1846–
10. zebrine, adj. a1810–
11. zebroid, adj. & n.1881–
12. zebrule, n. 1899–
13. zebu, n. 1771–
14. zecchino, n. 1572–
15. Zechstein, n. 1798–
16. zed, n. c1175–
17. zedbed, n. 1954–
18. zedoary, n. Old English–
19. zedonk, n. 1961–
20. zee, n. 1580–
21. Zeelander, n. c1400–

## Etymology

### Summary

Formed within English, by derivation.
< zebra n. + ‑oid suffix…
< zebra n. + ‑oid suffix.

### Notes

With use as adjective compare scientific Latin zebroides, former specific name (1827).
In use as noun after Portuguese zebroide (1897).

## Meaning & use

1. adjective
   1. 1.
      1881–
      Having striped or banded markings resembling those of a zebra.
      1. 1881

         > Another fine species (Achatina Thomsoni) is especially charming for its vivid zebroid markings.

         E. A. Smith in J. Thomson, To Central Afr. Lakes & Back vol. II. App. ii. 296
      2. 1950

         > A more zebroid type of color pattern.

         Transactions Amer. Entomol. Society vol. 76 369
      3. 1983

         > Coarse crystallinity, zebroid structure, local facies changes.., and a ‘net fabric’ indicate late diagenetic dolomitization.

         Science 4 November 502/3
      4. 2005

         > Roughened or covered with annular to zebroid, brownish pigment incrustations.

         Mycologia vol. 97 674/1
   2. 2.
      1899–
      Zoology. Characteristic of or resembling equids of the zebra group. Also: designating equids of this group.
      Living zebras are now placed in the Equus subgenera Dolichohippus and Hippotrigris; a formal higher taxon is now rarely used for the group.
      1. 1899

         > The reproductive organs, which were of a zebroid type.

         Natural Science March 209
      2. 1974

         > G. Nobis's study of the horse teeth recognised three groups: two larger species with primitive ‘zebroid’ features.

         Nature 22 March 296/2
      3. 1999

         > Equus stenonis has become a catch-all for stenonid (= zebroid) horses from the Late Pliocene to the Early Pleistocene..of Eurasia.

         Quaternary Sci. Review vol. 18 1373
      animals horses and riding
      1. zebrine a1810–
         Of, relating to, resembling, or characteristic of a zebra or zebras.
      2. zebraic 1858–
         Relating to, resembling, or characteristic of, a zebra or zebras.
      3. zebroid 1899–
         Zoology. Characteristic of or resembling equids of the zebra group. Also: designating equids of this group.
      View in Historical Thesaurus
2. noun
   1. 1898–
      The hybrid offspring of a zebra and a horse or other equid.
      1. 1898

         > The Baron de Parana has obtained one and calls it the ‘zebroid’.

         Literary Digest 15 January 75/2
      2. 1926

         > The first man to have any practical success in crossbreeding the zebra and the horse is Dr. W. E. Hastings of Mt. Vernon, Ind. The result is a new mule, the zebroid.

         Daily Colonist (Victoria, British Columbia) 18 July 24/1
      3. 1973

         > Another Kenya ‘character’..crossed ponies with zebras, and used the resulting ‘zebroids’ as pack animals for safaris.

         Daily Telegraph 5 October (Colour Supplement) 31/4
      4. 2002

         > A zebroid (below) is the product of a horse and a zebra, and a shebra the product of a Shetland pony and a zebra.

         M. Penny, Wild Horses viii. 43
      1. zebra mule 1841–
         A zebroid; spec. the offspring of a male zebra and female horse.
      2. zebroid 1898–
         The hybrid offspring of a zebra and a horse or other equid.
      View in Historical Thesaurus

## Pronunciation

### British English

/ˈzɛbrɔɪd/
ZEB-royd
/ˈziːbrɔɪd/
ZEE-broyd

### U.S. English

/ˈziˌbrɔɪd/
ZEE-broyd

####

##### Consonants

- ppea
- ttea
- kkey
- bbuy
- ddye
- ɡguy
- tʃchore
- dʒjay
- ffore
- θthaw
- ssore
- ʃshore
- vvee
- ðthee
- zzee
- ʒbeige
- xloch
- hhay
- llay
- ɬrhingyll
- rray
- wway
- jyore
- mmay
- nnay
- ŋsing

Some consonants can take the function of the vowel in unstressed syllables. Where necessary, a syllabic marker diacritic is used, hence /ˈpɛtl/ but /ˈpɛtl̩i/.

##### Vowels

- iːfleece
- ihappy
- ɪkit
- ɛdress
- atrap, bath
- ɑːstart, palm, bath
- ɒlot
- ɔːthought, force
- ʌstrut
- ʊfoot
- uːgoose
- əletter
- əːnurse
- ɪənear
- ɛːsquare
- ʊəcure
- eɪface
- ʌɪpride
- aʊmouth
- əʊgoat
- ɔɪvoice
- ãgratin
- ɒ̃salon
- ᵻ(/ɪ/-/ə/)
- ᵿ(/ʊ/-/ə/)

##### Other symbols

- The symbol ˈ at the beginning of a syllable indicates that that syllable is pronounced with primary stress.
- The symbol ˌ at the beginning of a syllable indicates that that syllable is pronounced with secondary stress.
- Round brackets ( ) in a transcription indicate that the symbol within the brackets is optional.

View the pronunciation model here.

####

##### Consonants

- ppea
- ttea
- kkey
- bbuy
- ddye*
- ɡguy
- tʃchore
- dʒjay
- ffore
- θthaw
- ssore
- ʃshore
- vvee
- ðthee
- zzee
- ʒbeige
- xloch
- hhay
- llay
- rray
- wway
- jyore
- mmay
- nnay
- ŋsing

* /d/ also represents a 'tapped' /t/ as in

Some consonants can take the function of the vowel in unstressed syllables. Where necessary, a syllabic marker diacritic is used, hence /ˈpɛd(ə)l/ but /ˈpɛdl̩i/.

##### Vowels

- ifleece, happy
- ɪkit
- ɛdress
- ætrap, bath
- ɑlot, palm, cloth, thought
- ɑrstart
- ɔcloth, thought
- ɔrnorth, force
- ʊfoot
- ugoose
- əstrut, comma
- ərnurse, letter
- ɪ(ə)rnear
- ɛ(ə)rsquare
- ʊ(ə)rcure
- eɪface
- aɪpride
- aʊmouth
- oʊgoat
- ɔɪvoice
- ɑ̃gratin
- æ̃salon
- ᵻ(/ɪ/-/ə/)
- ᵿ(/ʊ/-/ə/)

##### Other symbols

- The symbol ˈ at the beginning of a syllable indicates that that syllable is pronounced with primary stress.
- The symbol ˌ at the beginning of a syllable indicates that that syllable is pronounced with secondary stress.
- Round brackets ( ) in a transcription indicate that the symbol within the brackets is optional.

View the pronunciation model here.

####

Simple text respell breaks words into syllables, separated by a hyphen. The syllable which carries the primary stress is written in capital letters. This key covers both British and U.S. English Simple Text Respell.

##### Consonants

b, d, f, h, k, l, m, n, p, r, s, t, v, w and z have their standard English values

- gguy
- jjay
- yyore
- chchore
- khloch
- shshore
- ththaw
- dhthee
- zhbeige

##### Vowels

- atrap
- ahpalm
- airsquare
- arstart
- arrcarry (British only)
- awthought
- ayface
- a(ng)gratin
- edress
- eefleece
- eerdeer
- errmerry
- ikit
- ighpride
- irrmirror
- olot (British only)
- ohgoat
- oogoose
- oorcure
- orforce
- orrsorry (British only)
- owmouth
- oyvoice
- o(ng)salon
- ustrut
- uhletter
- urnurse
- urrhurry
- uufoot

## Frequency

zebroid typically occurs fewer than 0.01 times per million words in modern written English.

zebroid is in frequency band 2, which contains words occurring between 0.001 and 0.01 times per million words in modern written English. More about OED's frequency bands

Frequency data is computed programmatically, and should be regarded as an estimate.

### Frequency of zebroid, adj. & n., 1880–2010

* Occurrences per million words in written English

Historical frequency series are derived from Google Books Ngrams (version 2), a data set based on the Google Books corpus of several million books printed in English between 1500 and 2010.

The overall frequency for a given word is calculated by summing frequencies for the main form of the word, any plural or inflected forms, and any major spelling variations.

For sets of homographs (distinct entries that share the same word-form, e.g. mole, n.¹, mole, n.², mole, n.³, etc.), we have estimated the frequency of each homograph entry as a fraction of the total Ngrams frequency for the word-form. This may result in inaccuracies.

Smoothing has been applied to series for lower-frequency words, using a moving-average algorithm. This reduces short-term fluctuations, which may be produced by variability in the content of the Google Books corpus.

Decade | Frequency per million words
--- | ---
1880 | 0.0016
1890 | 0.0018
1900 | 0.0017
1910 | 0.0016
1920 | 0.0019
1930 | 0.0022
1940 | 0.0022
1950 | 0.0019
1960 | 0.0018
1970 | 0.0017
1980 | 0.0017
1990 | 0.0016
2000 | 0.0015
2010 | 0.001

zebroid, adj. & n. was revised in June 2018.

zebroid, adj. & n. was last modified in September 2024.