/tɛː/, U.S. /tɛ(ə)r/. tahrn.
/tɑː/, U.S. /tɑr//tɛː/, U.S. /tɛ(ə)r/. Each of three wild goats of the genus Hemitragus, found in mountainous regions of southern Asia and Arabia; esp. (more fully Himalayan tahr) H. jemlahicus, with long brown fur, which is native to the Himalayan region and introduced elsewhere. Cf. thar n. 1.Recent work suggests that the three species of tahr should be assigned to separate genera.
ΘΚΠ
the world > animals > mammals > group Ungulata (hoofed) > group Ruminantia (sheep, goats, cows, etc.) > subfamily Caprinae (goat) > [noun] > genus Hemitragus (tehr)
thar1826
tahr1835
serow1847
saddleback1921
1835 B. H. Hodgson in Jrnl. Asiatic Soc. Bengal 4 492 The western type of the Himálayan wild goat (called Tehr, at Simla and Musúri) has the anterior edge of the horns decidedly nodose.
1867 A. L. Adams Wanderings Naturalist India 214 Herds of Tare (Capra jemlaica, Smith) were often observed during my excursion. The short triangular horns of this species of goat distinguish it from any of its allies.
1885 Cycl. India (ed. 3) III. 840/1 Tehr, the Himalayan wild goat Hemitragus Jemlaicus, Jerdon, pronounced Tare, also Tahir. It is the Jharal of Nepāl.
1902 Little Folks Apr. 282/1 The tahrs are true goats, though..they have no beard. Their home is..high up in the Himalaya Mountains.
1959 W. Thesiger Arabian Sands xiii. 256 The Arabian tahr had never previously been seen by a European.
1972 T. McHugh Time of Buffalo xvii. 200 And goats, sheep, and Himalayan tahrs stamp their front hoofs under similar circumstances [sc. in the rut].
2003 New Scientist 1 Feb. 5/3 The tahr is particularly prized by hunters, who come from all over the world [to New Zealand] to shoot it.
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, September 2012; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
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n.1835