roebuck, noun

Plurals:
roebucks, or unchanged.
Origin:
EnglishShow more Special sense of general English roebuck the male of a roe-deer Capreolus capreolus; see quotation 1824.
obsolescent
a. The rhebok (sense 1 a), Pelea capreolus. b. The mountain reedbuck (see reedbuck sense 2), Redunca fulvorufula.
1731 G. Medley tr. of P. Kolben’s Present State of Cape of G.H. II. 114Roebucks are seen in the Cape-Countries. They agree in every Particular with the Roe-bucks in Europe.
1824 W.J. Burchell Trav. II. 23The name of Gemsbok belongs properly to the Antilope rupicapra of Europe, the Chamois of the Alps...So also is the name of a common European animal, the Reebok or Roebuck, applied to two animals of another genus, and which are found only in Southern Africa.
a1827 D. Carmichael in W.J. Hooker Botanical Misc. (1831) II. 47Roebucks and Duykers were seen daily.
1827 T. Philipps Scenes & Occurrences 59Fine roebucks, one of which we shot; they are covered with a very soft fur resembling that of rabbits.
1944 V. Pohl Adventures of Boer Family 11There were roebuck in the rantjies.
The rhebok (sense 1 a), Pelea capreolus.
The mountain reedbuck (see reedbuck sense 2), Redunca fulvorufula.
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rockspider, nounn.roer, nounn.
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