zebra

plural zebras

1. Any of three species of subgenus Hippotigris: Equus grevyi, Equus quagga, or Equus zebra, all with black and white stripes and native to Africa.

   A group of zebras can be called a dazzle.

   2019 June 6, “A gaggle, a confusion and a conspiracy - bizarre animal collective group names”, in BBC

2. slanghobbiesA referee.
3. slangmedicineAn unlikely diagnosis, especially for symptoms probably caused by a common ailment.

   1 more example

   "It's a zebra! George. OK, I should explain. A zebra is..." "Medical slang for coming to an exotic diagnosis when a more simple explanation is more likely." "That's right. I was convinced that George, given his age and symptoms, had some kind of cardiac issue. It fit, it made sense. Because I was looking for the obvious when I should have been looking for the zebra! George is just having an allergic reaction to a combination of chemicals from all the stains and paints he's been using in the garage."

   2005 March 7, “Apologies and Rememberances”, in Good Witch, season 1, episode 2 (TV), spoken by Dr. Sam Radford and Cassie Nightingale (James Denton and Catherine Bell), via Hallmark

4. broadlymedicineSomeone who has Ehlers-Danlos syndrome or hypermobility spectrum disorder

   EDS charities around the world use a zebra logo to promote the idea that sometimes it really is that ‘rare’ condition.

   2020, Pharmaceutical Technology

   1 more example

   “I was told in medical school, ‘when you hear hoofbeats think horses, not zebras,’” she says. Many trainee doctors receive the same advice – when a patient presents with symptoms, “look for the common thing.” That’s why EDS patients commonly refer to themselves as zebras – and also use the fabulous collective noun “dazzle.” The name represents rarity and evokes the stripy stretch marks that are a common feature on EDS skin.

   2022 December 24, CNN

5. derogatoryethnicslangslurA biracial person, specifically one born to a Sub-Saharan African person and a white person.

   “People change countries for all kinds of reasons,” Ross tells me. “But at least one of them was that she had this light-skinned, mixed-race child who had already been called a zebra at school.”

   2021 April 10, Alex Clark, “‘I’m 51, I can say what I want’: Leone Ross has overcome her fears”, in The Guardian

6. informalA zebra cichlid (Amatitlania nigrofasciata).
7. Any of various papilionid butterflies of the subgenus Paranticopsis of the genus Graphium, having black and white markings.
8. A zebra crossing.

   On his way home he'd picked up two economy-sized bags of tortilla chips, and had dropped both when a twat in a Lexus honked him on a zebra . . .

   2010, Mick Herron, Slow Horses, page 247

9. board gamesA fairy chess piece that is moved three squares in one direction and two at right angles to that direction in a single move, leaping over any intervening pieces.

1. World War II era; joint US/RAF; World War II era; joint US/RAFradiotelephony clear-code word for the letter Z.

   Synonyms: Zulu