zebra
gb/zˈibɹə/ us/zˈibɹə/
A2
English
zebra, zebraminta, spori, játékvezető, ritka betegség, ritka diagnózis
NOUN
A2
1
zebra
A2
Usage pattern:
a zebra; zebras
We saw a herd of zebras grazing near the river.
Egy zebracsordát láttunk legelni a folyó közelében.
Each zebra has a unique stripe pattern.
Minden zebrának egyedi csíkmintázata van.
The zoo moved the zebra to a larger enclosure.
Learner examples
A zebra has black and white stripes.
A zebrának fekete-fehér csíkjai vannak.
I saw a zebra at the zoo.
Láttam egy zebrát az állatkertben.
Common mistake:
Don’t use it for any striped animal; a zebra is a specific African animal.
Meaning
African wild horse with stripes
Collocations
a herd of zebras
|a zebra's stripes
|plains zebra
|zebra habitat
|zebra foal
|watch zebras
|zebras in the wild
|zebra enclosure
|a zebra at the zoo
|zebra population
Themes
animals
|nature
Definition
a wild animal like a horse with black and white stripes
An African wild animal related to the horse, with a short mane and black-and-white stripes.
NOUN
B1
2
zebraminta
B1
Usage pattern:
zebra + [noun] (e.g., zebra pattern/stripes/print)
She chose a zebra pattern for the accent wall.
Zebramintát választott a kiemelt falra.
The bag has a bold zebra print.
A táskán feltűnő zebraminta van.
They wore matching shirts with zebra stripes.
Learner examples
I like zebra print.
Tetszik a zebraminta.
These socks have zebra stripes.
Ezeken a zoknikon zebraminta van.
Common mistake:
In this sense, zebra is usually used before another noun (e.g., zebra print), not alone.
Meaning
black-and-white striped pattern
Collocations
zebra stripes
|zebra pattern
|zebra print
|zebra-themed
|zebra-like stripes
|a zebra design
|zebra wallpaper
|zebra fabric
|zebra leggings
|zebra rug
Synonyms
striped pattern (More general; not specifically black-and-white.)
Antonyms
plain (Without a pattern or stripes.)
Themes
clothing
|design
|visual_art
Definition
a design with black and white stripes
A pattern of alternating dark and light stripes, like the stripes of a zebra.
NOUN
C1
SLANG
3
spori
B2
játékvezető
B1
Usage pattern:
the zebra; a zebra (for a referee)
The fans blamed the zebra for the late penalty.
A szurkolók a sporit hibáztatták a későn megítélt büntetőért.
Don’t yell at the zebra—just play.
Ne kiabálj a sporival, inkább játssz tovább.
The zebra stopped the fight and declared a winner.
Learner examples
The zebra is the referee.
A spori a játékvezető.
The zebra made a call.
A spori ítéletet hozott.
Common mistake:
This is slang and can sound disrespectful; use referee/ref in neutral contexts.
Meaning
sports referee (slang)
Collocations
the zebra made a call
|argue with the zebra
|blame the zebras
|the zebra blew the whistle
|a bad call by the zebra
Synonyms
referee (Neutral, standard term.)
|
ref (Informal but common; not as slangy as zebra.)
Antonyms
player (Participant in the game, not an official.)
Themes
sports
|people
Definition
a referee (informal), because of a striped shirt
A referee, especially in sports where officials traditionally wear black-and-white striped shirts.
NOUN
C1
TECHNICAL
4
Usage pattern:
a zebra; look for zebras
Most of the time it’s a common condition, not a zebra.
Legtöbbször gyakori állapotról van szó, nem valami ritka betegségről.
The team realized the patient’s symptoms pointed to a zebra.
A csapat rájött, hogy a beteg tünetei egy ritka betegségre utalnak.
Medical training emphasizes ruling out common causes before chasing zebras.
Learner examples
The doctor considered a zebra.
Az orvos egy ritka betegséget is számításba vett.
It was a rare zebra case.
Ritka betegségről volt szó.
Common mistake:
This sense is mainly used by medical professionals or in medical discussions.
Meaning
rare or unexpected diagnosis
Collocations
a diagnostic zebra
|a medical zebra
|a zebra diagnosis
|look for zebras
|rare zebras
|zebra cases
Synonyms
rare diagnosis (Direct and plain; not idiomatic.)
Antonyms
common condition (A frequent, likely diagnosis.)
Themes
health
|medicine
Definition
a rare illness that is hard to diagnose
In medicine, a rare or unexpected disease or diagnosis (contrasted with more common explanations).
Grammar
Dictionary form
zebra
IPA
GB/zˈibɹə/
US/zˈibɹə/
Syllables & stress
zebra (1 syllable)
Stress on 1st syllable (zebra)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: zebra
- Plural: zebra, zebras
Expressions
when you hear hoofbeats, think horses, not zebras
1/wˈɛn jˈu hˈɪɹ hˈʊfbəts | θˈɪŋk hˈɔɹsɪz | nˈɑt zˈibɹəz/
fixed phrase
technical
prefer common explanations first
first think of common causes, not rare ones
Examples
- In diagnostics, we often say, “When you hear hoofbeats, think horses, not zebras.”
- The consultant reminded the interns: when you hear hoofbeats, think horses, not zebras.
- It’s a useful rule, but sometimes the patient really does have a zebra.
zebra crossing
1/zˈibɹə kɹˈɔsɪŋ/
fixed phrase
pedestrian crosswalk with stripes
a crosswalk with white stripes
Examples
- Stop at the zebra crossing if someone is waiting to cross.
- The school is just past the zebra crossing.
- She stepped onto the zebra crossing and the cars slowed down.
Learner examples
- We crossed at the zebra crossing.
- Cars stopped at the zebra crossing.
zebra mussel
1/zˈibɹə mˈʌsəl/
fixed phrase
technical
invasive freshwater mussel
a small striped mussel that can be harmful when it spreads
Examples
- The lake has a serious zebra mussel problem.
- Boaters are asked to clean equipment to prevent zebra mussels spreading.
- Zebra mussels can clog water intake pipes.
Learner examples
- Zebra mussels can spread fast.
zebra print
1/zˈibɹə pɹˈɪnt/
fixed phrase
fabric design like zebra stripes
a design with zebra-like stripes
Examples
- He wore a zebra-print shirt to the party.
- She bought a scarf in zebra print.
- The room looked louder after they added zebra-print cushions.
Learner examples
- She has a zebra-print bag.
- I like zebra print shoes.