Meanings
alternative when you hear hoofbeats, think horses, not zebras · alternative when you hear hoofbeats, look for horses, not zebras
- informalmedicineWhen diagnosing a patient's symptoms, common ailments should be considered as more probable than rare ones.
Synonyms: horses, not zebras
Synonyms & antonyms
proverbWhen diagnosing a patient's symptoms, common ailments should be considered as more probable than rare ones.
Origin
Coined by American medical researcher Theodore Woodward.
Full word history & related roots →Cite this entry
when you hear hoofbeats, think of horses, not zebras. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/when%20you%20hear%20hoofbeats%2C%20think%20of%20horses%2C%20not%20zebras
“when you hear hoofbeats, think of horses, not zebras.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/when%20you%20hear%20hoofbeats%2C%20think%20of%20horses%2C%20not%20zebras. Accessed November 5, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “when you hear hoofbeats, think of horses, not zebras,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/when%20you%20hear%20hoofbeats%2C%20think%20of%20horses%2C%20not%20zebras.
Source: when you hear hoofbeats, think of horses, not zebras on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.