okapi

o·ka·pi  (-käp)

n. pl. okapi or o·ka·pis

A ruminant forest mammal (Okapia johnstoni) of the Congo River basin in Africa, related to the giraffe but smaller and having a short neck, reddish-brown body, creamy white cheeks, and whitish stripes and bands on the legs.

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[Perhaps of Mvuba (Nilo-Saharan language of Congo) origin.]

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okapi [oh-kah-pee]

Noun

pl -pis or -pi an African mammal related to the giraffe, but with a shorter neck, a reddish coat, and white stripes on the legs [from a Central African word]

Thesaurus

Noun

1.

okapi - similar to the giraffe but smaller with much shorter neck and stripe on the legs Okapia johnstoni camelopard, Giraffa camelopardalis, giraffe - tallest living quadruped; having a spotted coat and small horns and very long neck and legs; of savannahs of tropical Africa genus Okapia, Okapia - okapis