Zebra \Ze"bra\, n. [Pg. zebra; cf. Sp. cebra; probably from a
native African name.] (Zool.)
Any member of three species of African wild horses remarkable
for having the body white or yellowish white, and
conspicuously marked with dark brown or brackish bands.
[1913 Webster]
Note: The true or mountain zebra (Equus zebra syn. Asinus
zebra) is nearly white, and the bands which cover the
body and legs are glossy black. Its tail has a tuft of
black hair at the tip. It inhabits the mountains of
Central and Southern Africa, and is noted for its
wariness and wildness, as well as for its swiftness.
The second species (Equus Burchellii syn. Asinus
Burchellii or Equus quagga), known as Burchell's
zebra, plains zebra, and dauw, is the most
abundant, inhabiting the grassy plains of tropical and
southern Africa, and differing from the preceding in
not having dark bands on the legs, while those on the
body are more irregular. It has a long tail, covered
with long white flowing hair. Grevy's zebra (Equus
grevyi) is distinct from the others in being placed in
the subgenus Dolichohippus, whereas the plains and
mountain zebras are placed in the subgenus Hippotigris.
More on zebras can be found at:
http://www.imh.org/imh/bw/zebra.html
[1913 Webster +PJC]
Zebra caterpillar, the larva of an American noctuid moth
(Mamestra picta). It is light yellow, with a broad black
stripe on the back and one on each side; the lateral
stripes are crossed with withe lines. It feeds on
cabbages, beets, clover, and other cultivated plants.
Zebra opossum, the zebra wolf. See under Wolf.
Zebra parrakeet, an Australian grass parrakeet, often kept
as a cage bird. Its upper parts are mostly pale greenish
yellow, transversely barred with brownish black crescents;
the under parts, rump, and upper tail coverts, are bright
green; two central tail feathers and the cheek patches are
blue. Called also canary parrot, scallop parrot,
shell parrot, and undulated parrot.
Zebra poison (Bot.), a poisonous tree (Euphorbia arborea)
of the Spurge family, found in South Africa. Its milky
juice is so poisonous that zebras have been killed by
drinking water in which its branches had been placed, and
it is also used as an arrow poison. --J. Smith (Dict.
Econ. Plants).
Zebra shark. Same as Tiger shark, under Tiger.
Zebra spider, a hunting spider.
Zebra swallowtail, a very large North American
swallow-tailed butterfly (Iphiclides ajax), in which the
wings are yellow, barred with black; -- called also
ajax.
Zebra wolf. See under Wolf.
[1913 Webster]
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