dzo

Meaning

1. 1nouncountablespecialist

   A strong animal produced by crossing a yak with a domestic cow, used in the Himalayas for carrying loads and plowing and for its milk and meat.

   Grammar: Refers strictly to the male hybrid in many sources; the female is a dzomo.

   Patterns

   • a dzo of something

   The farmer loaded the sacks on a dzo for the climb to the village.

   Dzo cope better with lower altitudes than pure yaks do.

   A dzo pulled the plough through the terraced field.

Word forms

Common combinations

herd of dzo

A herd of dzo grazed above the stream.

dzo and dzomo

The family keeps a dzo and a dzomo for milk and labor.

yak-cow hybrid

The dzo is a yak-cow hybrid prized for its strength.

load a dzo

The guide helped load a dzo with camping gear.

Synonyms and how they differ

zo

Zo is an alternative spelling used in some regions for the same hybrid animal.

zopkio

Zopkio is a name used in Nepal and nearby areas for the same cross.

hybrid

Hybrid is a general word for any cross between two kinds of animal and is not specific to yak and cow.

Word family

dzomo noun

the female yak-cow hybrid, valued for milk

yak noun

the long-haired mountain ox from which the dzo is bred

zho noun

another spelling of the animal's name

Commonly confused: dzo or zoo?

Practice

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