Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • noun A large goat antelope (Capra falconeri) of the western Himalayas, having a brownish coat, corkscrew-shaped horns, and long fur on the neck and chest in the male.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • noun An Asiatic variety of wild goat, closely related to the common domestic goat, but having long, massive, spirally twisted horns; Capra falconeri, also called C. megaceros and C. jerdoni.
  • noun Four subspecies are recognized, the extremes being represented by the Astor and the Suliman markhor. In the first, named from the village of Astor in northwestern Kashmir, the horns are long, massive, and form an open spiral. In the Suliman variety, found in the Suliman range, the horns are comparatively short and straight, with the keel running around them like the thread of a screw.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun A large wild goat antelope, Capra falconeri, found in the western Himalayas.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • noun large Himalayan goat with large spiraled horns

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[Persian mārkhōr : mār, snake (from Avestan mairiia-, treacherous; see mel- in Indo-European roots) + -khōr, eater (from Old Iranian *-khvāra; see manticore).]

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Examples

  • In Pakistan's northern uplands, it is not uncommon to find hybrids between domestic goats and the mountain goat known as "markhor" (Capra falconeri).

    1 Microcattle 1991

  • The degradation of the substantial vegetative covering has caused migration to markhor and wild goat that has disturbed the food chain for the elusive snow leopard forcing him to migrate to some other habitats.

    Climate Vigil Rally Chitral, Pakistan 2009

  • In the 1950s the population of Chiltan markhor used to exceed 1,200.

    East Afghan montane conifer forests 2008

  • They include markhor (Capra falconeri), ibex (Capra ibex), and urial (Ovis orientalis).

    Karakoram-West Tibetan Plateau alpine steppe 2008

  • These temperate coniferous forests of western Pakistan and northeastern Afghanistan support a variety of avifauna and harbor the largest remaining populations of Chiltan markhor (Capra falconeri chiltanensis).

    East Afghan montane conifer forests 2008

  • Trophy hunting for markhor, ibex, snow leopard, and game birds (such as falcons) is prevalent in this ecoregion and has decimated their populations.

    Karakoram-West Tibetan Plateau alpine steppe 2008

  • The Indus River dolphin, the Baluchistan bear, the Suleiman markhor, Hotson's long-tailed hamster, and the Central Asian cobra are classified as endangered.

    Baluchistan xeric woodlands 2008

  • The Suleiman markhor, Afghan urial, and Ladahk urial are listed as endangered, and the Chiltan wild goat is indicated as critically endangered on IUCN's Red List of threatened animals database.

    Sulaiman Range alpine meadows 2008

  • The juniper forest of north central Baluchistan is believed to be the most extensive remaining in the world and is home to the distinctive and highly threatened Baluchistan bear and straight-horned markhor.

    Baluchistan xeric woodlands 2008

  • The flare horned markhor, sarmantier (Vormela peregusna), hyena, wolf, and leopard are also threatened in this ecoregion.

    Sulaiman Range alpine meadows 2008

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