Standard Lemma guide

basenji

noun · 3 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • /bəˈsɛnd͡ʒi/
  • CMU ARPABET: B AH0 S EH1 N JH IY0 Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

noun

Meaning 1

Alternative letter-case form of Basenji.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: alt-of

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

A hunting dog (for aiding human hunters) of a particular African breed.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: biology, natural-sciences, zoology

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: African Bush Dog, African Barkless Dog, Ango Angari, Avuvi, Congo Dog, Zande Dog

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

small smooth-haired breed of African origin having a tightly curled tail and the inability to bark

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: dog, domestic dog, Canis familiaris

History

Etymology

From Lingala mbwá na basɛ́nzi (“dogs of the savages; dogs of the villagers”). First use appears c. 1906.

Across languages

Translations

15 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Asturian: Basenji — Basenji
  • Danish: basenji — Basenji
  • Finnish: basenji — Basenji
  • French: basenji — Basenji
  • Hungarian: basenji — Basenji
  • Irish: Baiséinseach — Basenji
  • Japanese: バセンジー (basenjī) — Basenji
  • Lithuanian: basendžis — Basenji
  • Malay: Basenji — Basenji
  • Norwegian: basenji — Basenji
  • Portuguese: basenji — Basenji
  • Russian: ба́сенджи (básendži) — Basenji
  • Spanish: Basenji — Basenji
  • Swedish: basenji — Basenji
  • Thai: บาเซ็นจิ (baasenjì) — Basenji