‖voorbok, noun
- Plurals:
- voorbokke /ˈfʊə(r)bɔkə/.
- Origin:
- AfrikaansShow more Afrikaans, voor in front + bok goat.
A goat used as a bell-wether to lead a flock of sheep. Also figurative, a leader; a ringleader. See also voorloper sense 2.
1913 C. Pettman Africanderisms 540Voorbok,..A goat — Kapater..— is generally used on South African sheep farms, instead of a bell-wether as in England.
1947 Cape Argus 29 Mar. 6Many English-speaking South Africans regarded him as a man wielding a moderating influence upon racial politics. Why then should he not be useful as a bell-wether (‘voorbok’) leading United Party sheep into the Herenigde kraal?
1951 Cape Times 15 Aug. 2A delivery van ran into a flock of sheep.., killing 25 sheep and the voorbok.
1972 Daily Dispatch 6 May 10Each flock was led by a goat, the voorbok. The sheep, silly creatures as they are, would never cross a river or enter a gate unless led by the more clever voorbok.
1976 Cape Times 21 Sept. 2A 14-year-old schoolboy, who according to a bus conductor, was the ‘voorbok’ of a stoning incident in Wynberg on September 16, was found guilty of inciting others to public violence.
1976 Het Suid-Western 17 Nov.‘Riots voorbok’ is jailed for 18 months...The woman was described as one of the voorbokke of the riots and incited children to throw stones at white people’s cars.
A goat used as a bell-wether to lead a flock of sheep. Also figurative, a leader; a ringleader.
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