Zeriba
Alternative forms
Origin
From زَرْب ("pen, cattle pen")
, from (zarb, "sheepfold").
Full definition of zeriba
Noun
zeriba
(plural zeribas)- A fence, particularly those once commonly improvised in northeastern Africa from thornbushes.
- 1849, O'Reilly translating Werne, Exped. Sources White Nile, II 112:A shining seriba of reeds, the stalks of which ... perhaps only afford resistance to tame animals.
- 1895, A. H. Keane translating W. Junker, Trav. in Afr., I v 245:The expression ‘'zeriba country’ applied by some geographers to the northern slope of the Nile–Congo divide.
- (by extension) An improvised stockade, particularly those similarly located and constructed.
- 1884 Mar. 11, Times, 5:The Black Watch (Royal Highlanders) advanced this morning to Baker Pasha's zariba.
- (by extension) A camp of troops employing such an enclosure.
- 1887' Apr. 9, Times, 5:...Forming a zariba, or square, to resist cavalry.
- (by extension) Any wild and barbed barrier, evocative of a briar or thorn patch.
- 1910, P. G. Wodehouse, :Once you had passed the initial zareba of fruit stands, souvenir stands, ice-cream stands, and the lair of the enthusiast whose aim in life it was to sell you picture post-cards, and had won through to the long walk where the seats were, you were practically alone with Nature.
- 1961, P. G. Wodehouse, Ice in Bedroom, vii. 52:Owing to his obiter dicta having to be filtered through a zareba of white hair, it was not always easy to catch exactly what Mr. Cornelius said.
Verb
- To erect or take refuge within a zereba.
- 1885 July, 19th Cent., 89:The Brigadier ordered the force to zereba on the best position that was near.
- 1911, "Somaliland" in the Encyclopædia Britannica 11th ed., Vol. 25:On the 2nd of June a small force, zeribaed under Captain Malcolm McNeill, was attacked by the mullah's followers but repulsed after desperate fighting.