thomson's gazelle: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
LowTechnical/Zoological, Nature/Conservation, Documentary/Educational
Quick answer
What does “thomson's gazelle” mean?
A small, fast, light-brown antelope native to East Africa, with distinctive black stripes on its sides.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
A small, fast, light-brown antelope native to East Africa, with distinctive black stripes on its sides.
A common species of gazelle (Eudorcas thomsonii) known for its "stotting" or "pronking" escape behavior, often a key prey species in African savanna ecosystems.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
Spelling conventions: both use the possessive 's. Pronunciation differs slightly in vowel quality for 'Thomson's'.
Connotations
Identical; evokes images of the African savanna, wildlife documentaries, and nature reserves.
Frequency
Equally low in both dialects, used in similar contexts.
Grammar
How to Use “thomson's gazelle” in a Sentence
The [predator] hunted the Thomson's gazelle.We observed several Thomson's gazelle [verb-ing].Vocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “thomson's gazelle” in a Sentence
verb
British English
- The cheetah attempted to Thomson's-gazelle the herd. (Non-standard, hypothetical)
American English
- (No standard verb form)
adverb
British English
- (No standard adverb form)
American English
- (No standard adverb form)
adjective
British English
- The Thomson's-gazelle behaviour was fascinating. (Attributive noun use)
American English
- We studied Thomson's-gazelle migration patterns. (Attributive noun use)
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Rare, except in tourism or wildlife conservation funding contexts.
Academic
Used in biology, zoology, ecology, and conservation science papers.
Everyday
Used when discussing African wildlife, safaris, or nature documentaries.
Technical
Standard term in zoological taxonomy and wildlife management.
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “thomson's gazelle”
- Misspelling as 'Thompson's gazelle'.
- Using plural 'gazelles' incorrectly in the compound: 'Thomson's gazelles' (plural) is correct for multiple animals.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
It is 'Thomson's gazelle', named after the Scottish explorer Joseph Thomson.
The plural is 'Thomson's gazelles' (e.g., 'three Thomson's gazelles').
This behavior is called 'stotting' or 'pronking' and may signal fitness to predators or alert other gazelles.
It is currently classified as 'Near Threatened' due to habitat loss, fences, and poaching, though still relatively numerous.
A small, fast, light-brown antelope native to East Africa, with distinctive black stripes on its sides.
Thomson's gazelle is usually technical/zoological, nature/conservation, documentary/educational in register.
Thomson's gazelle: in British English it is pronounced /ˈtɒmsənz ɡəˈzɛl/, and in American English it is pronounced /ˈtɑːmsənz ɡəˈzɛl/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “[No common idioms specific to this term]”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of "Tommy's gazelle" – a quick, striped antelope named for explorer Joseph Thomson.
Conceptual Metaphor
Speed and evasion ('He darted away like a Thomson's gazelle'). Fragility of nature.
Practice
Quiz
What is the primary habitat of the Thomson's gazelle?