Standard Lemma guide

carabao

noun · 2 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

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  • /kæɹəˈbeɪəʊ/
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.

1

noun

Meaning 1

A domesticated subspecies of water buffalo, Bubalus bubalis carabanesis.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: kerbau

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

water buffalo of the Philippines

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: water buffalo, water ox, Asiatic buffalo, Bubalus bubalis

History

Etymology

Borrowed from Spanish carabao, from Waray-Waray karabaw, from Malay kerbau, from Proto-Malayic *kAr(ə)baw, ultimately from Proto-Mon-Khmer *krpiʔ ~ *krpiiw ~ *krpuʔ ~ *(kr)puh (“buffalo”). Compare Khmer ក្របី (krɑɑbəy), Halang kơpùa, Indonesian kerbau, Javanese ꦏꦼꦧꦺꦴ (kebo), Thai กระบือ (grà-bʉʉ).

Across languages

Translations

30 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Dupaningan Agta: makadaklan — Bubalus bubalis carabanesis
  • Dupaningan Agta: galambud — Bubalus bubalis carabanesis
  • Dupaningan Agta: galampes — Bubalus bubalis carabanesis
  • Berik: damulag — Bubalus bubalis carabanesis
  • Berik: karabaw — Bubalus bubalis carabanesis
  • Central Bikol: karabaw — Bubalus bubalis carabanesis
  • Central Bikol: damulag — Bubalus bubalis carabanesis
  • Cebuano: kabaw — Bubalus bubalis carabanesis
  • Chamorro: cårabao — Bubalus bubalis carabanesis
  • Hiligaynon: karabaw — Bubalus bubalis carabanesis
  • Ibaloi: nuwang — Bubalus bubalis carabanesis
  • Ilocano: nuang — Bubalus bubalis carabanesis
  • Indonesian: kerbau — Bubalus bubalis carabanesis
  • Ivatan: pagad — Bubalus bubalis carabanesis
  • Limos Kalinga: luwang — Bubalus bubalis carabanesis
  • Kayapa Kallahan: nuwang — Bubalus bubalis carabanesis
  • Kankanaey: nuwang — Bubalus bubalis carabanesis
  • Kapampangan: damulag — Bubalus bubalis carabanesis
  • Malay: kerbau — Bubalus bubalis carabanesis
  • Malay: benuang — Bubalus bubalis carabanesis
  • Polish: carabao — Bubalus bubalis carabanesis
  • Portuguese: carabau — Bubalus bubalis carabanesis
  • Russian: буйвол (bujvol) — Bubalus bubalis carabanesis
  • Russian: водяной буйвол (vodjanoj bujvol) — Bubalus bubalis carabanesis
  • Spanish: carabao — Bubalus bubalis carabanesis
  • Tagalog: kalabaw — Bubalus bubalis carabanesis
  • Tagalog: nuwang — Bubalus bubalis carabanesis
  • Tagalog: anwang — Bubalus bubalis carabanesis
  • Tagalog: anuwang — Bubalus bubalis carabanesis
  • Waray-Waray: karabaw — Bubalus bubalis carabanesis