A kind of antelope mentioned by Herodotus and Pliny, perhaps the addax, Addax nasomaculatus. Now historical and humorous.
In the Septuagint and Vulgate, whence in the Wyclif and Douay Bibles and the King James Bible (1611), used to translate Hebrew dīšōn (which in the Old Testament and Hebrew Scriptures only occurs in Deuteronomy 14:5)..
Origin
Late Middle English; earliest use found in The Wycliffite Bible (early version). From classical Latin pȳgargus a kind of antelope, a kind of eagle or hawk (Pliny) from ancient Greek πύγαργος a kind of antelope (Herodotus), a kind of eagle (Aristotle), lit. ‘white-rump’ from πυγή rump + ἀργός white.