zebress
English
[edit]Etymology
[edit]Noun
[edit]zebress (plural zebresses)
- (rare) A female zebra.
- 1913 June 11, New-York Tribune, volume LXXIII, number 24,314, New York, N.Y., page 4, column 1:
- “ZEBRESS” COMES TO PARK / The population of the city’s menagerie in Central Park is increasing fast. The increase is due principally to a high birth rate, while yesterday a female zebra, styled by one of the park employes as a “zebress,” arrived from an animal dealer’s place in Germany to become the mate of Paddy, a zebra purchased some months ago. […] The “zebress” is three years old and is a fine specimen.
- 1927, Esther Singleton, “Dolls of To-day”, in Dolls, New York, N.Y.: Payson & Clarke Ltd, page 136:
- The lady now appearing wears a dress of black and white stripes—she might be very properly termed a zebra or zebress—and her sash is of pale, canary silk.
- 1928 August 2, E. L., “Mississippi Brevities”, in The Lexington Advertiser, volume 91, number 12, Lexington, Miss., page 3, column 2:
- A male zebra who lives at Livingston park in Jackson longed for love and affection. So lonely did he become that a local hotel sought a mate, presented her to him. Delighted with the selection, zebra and zebress have become friskly,[sic] renewed interest in life.
- 1964, Ralph De Sola, Abbreviations Dictionary: Abbreviations, Acronyms, Contractions, Signs & Symbols Defined […], revised edition, New York, N.Y.: Duell, Sloan and Pearce, →LCCN, page 213, column 1:
- zebrass: zebra plus ass—hybrid of zebra and jenny ass or zebress and jackass
- 1967, Paul Hiebert, “Jordan Middleduck”, in Willows Revisited, Toronto, Ont.; Montreal, Que.: McClelland and Stewart Limited, page 110:
- And the arrows were up and the gangplank down – / And here come the animals afraid to drown! / Through every doorway, entrance and egress, / Come dashing teams, a zebra and zebress, / A tiger and tigress, a gnu and a she-gnu, / A jack and a jenny, a mu and an emu, / A pair of elephants, a brace of rhinoceros, / Two dinosaurus – mostly esophagus, […]
- 1967 January 15, Dick Benke, “Movie Review: ‘Morgan’; Reality, Fantasy Get All Mixed Up”, in Independent Star-News, Pasadena, Calif., page C-8, column 4:
- As Leonie, she obviously loves Morgan, but how can you have a life with a man who keeps seeing you as a gazelle or a lioness or zebress?
- 1979 January 19, Hugh Mulligan, “Mulligan’s Stew”, in Evening Express, volume 96, number 82, Portland, Me., page 3, columns 3–4:
- “Taking my kid, offspring, heir, bairn in Edinburgh and garcon in Nice to the Washington Zoo today.” “They got everything from A to Z there.” “Aardvarks, acaroids, addax, agouti, alligators, alpaca, antlions, amardillo,[sic], aug, auklets, aurochs, areayes …” “He’ll go ape before he gets to the azygous axoloti[sic] which as you know is amphibious.” “It’ll be dark, dusk, twilight, eventide before we zero in on the zander, zebra, zebress, zebu, aibet, aoril and zorilla.”
- 1983, Jean Morgan, “Crazy Jean Tries a Limerick: On Reading in Darwin of the Zebra Who Refused the Donkey Until He Looked Something Like Her”, in High priestess of Change, Laurinburg, N.C.: St. Andrews Press, →ISBN, page 46:
- A zebress was once introduced to a donkey. / The donkey said darling, I know this sounds funky, / But let’s you and me / Get together; you’ll see / We’ll make us a little zebronkey. / The zebress said cooly,[sic] that’s sweet of you, hon, / But we’re species apart, and I really must run.
- 2009 August, Donna Andrews, Swan for the Money (Meg Langslow Mysteries; 11), New York, N.Y.: Minotaur Books, →ISBN, page 42:
- “You two can start exploring if you like,” I said. “Or wait here in the car. I’m just going to ask her about hosting the garden club buffet.” / “No, let’s beard the lioness in her den,” Dr. Blake said, offering Caroline his arm. / “More like a zebress, don’t you think?” Caroline said.
- 2016, Brian Scott Bowers, “The Passionate Prison, a Zoological Adventure…”, in It’s a Poop Sneeze: From Family Dysfunction & Fast Food Funnies to a “F*cker” in Politics, →ISBN, section 9 (Au Naturale[sic]), page 152:
- Zebra: I am sooo turned on by your stripes baby! / Zebress: Oh really? Well in that case......... KICK! / Zebra: OW! Let me move on up behind you here. This good for you? / Zebress: KICK! Approach vector too high. Permission to land is DENIED / Zebra: Tower, request permission for fly-by / Zebress: Negative Ghost-Rider, the pattern is full. KICK!