gnu

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition

1. n. Either of two large African antelopes (Connochaetes gnou or C. taurinus) having a drooping mane and beard, a long tufted tail, and curved horns in both sexes. Also called wildebeest.

Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia

1. n. An African animal of the genus Catoblepas (or Connochætes), belonging to the antilopine division of the family Bovidæ; a wildebeest. The gnu has little of the appearance of an ordinary antelope, being a creature of singular shape, strangely combining characters which recall at once horse, ass, and ox. There art two very distinct species, the common gnu, C., gnu, and the brindled gnu, C. gorgon, sometimes generically separated under the name Gorgonia. The former stands about 4 feet high at the withers, and is about 5½ feet long; the shoulders are hunched; the neck is maned like an ass's; the tail is long and flowing like a horse's; the head is like a buffalo's, with a broad muzzle, and beset with long bristly hairs; other long hairs hang from the dewlap and between the fore legs; there are horns in both sexes, in the male massive, meeting over the poll, then curving downward and outward and again turned up at the tip, like a muskox's; the color is brownish or blackish, with much white in the tail and mane. The brindled gnu is a larger animal, striped on the fore quarters, with black tail and more copious mane; it is known as the blue wildebeest, and by the Bechuan name kokon or kokoon. Both species inhabit southerly parts of Africa, in company with zebras and quaggas, and usually go in herds like other antelopes.

Wiktionary

1. n. A large antelope native to Africa having curved horns.

GNU Webster's 1913

1. n. (Zoöl.) One of two species of large South African antelopes of the genus Catoblephas, having a mane and bushy tail, and curved horns in both sexes.

WordNet 3.0

1. n. large African antelope having a head with horns like an ox and a long tufted tail