Definitions
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
- n. A large semiaquatic rodent (Hydrochoerus hydrochaeris) of tropical South America, having short limbs and a vestigial tail and often attaining lengths of more than 1.2 meters (4 feet).
Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia
- n. See capibara.
Wiktionary
- n. The largest living rodent (Hydrochoerus hydrochaeris), native to South America, living partly on land and partly in water.
GNU Webster's 1913
- n. (Zoöl.) A large South American rodent (Hydrochærus capybara) Living on the margins of lakes and rivers. It is the largest extant rodent, being about three feet long, and half that in height. It somewhat resembles the Guinea pig, to which it is related; -- called also
cabiai andwater hog .
WordNet 3.0
- n. pig-sized tailless South American amphibious rodent with partly webbed feet; largest living rodent
Etymologies
- From Old Tupi. One possible derivation is from ka'apiûara ("slender leaf (grass) eater"), from kaá ("leaf") + píi ("slender") + ú ("eat") + ara (agentive suffix). (Wiktionary)
- Portuguese capybara, from Tupi capivara, capibara : capii, grass + urara, eater. (American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition)
Examples
“The animal was identified as a capybara, which is the world's largest rodent, and it feeds on vegetation.”
Telegraph.co.uk - Telegraph online, Daily Telegraph and Sunday Telegraph
“The capybara is a large edible South American rodent.”
“Related to the guinea pig, the capybara is the largest species of rodent.”
“* Is it more important that a capybara is a rodent, or that it is a mammal?”
“Rodents make up 1/4 of all mammal species and the capybara is the largest member of this group.”
The Fantastical Capybara: An Interview with Melanie Typaldos About Her Caplin Rous
“Herbert recognized in this animal the capybara, that is to say, one of the largest members of the rodent order.”
“Because of its size, tasty meat, valuable leather, and rapid reproduction, the capybara is a candidate for both ranching and intensive husbandry throughout the hot and humid lowland tropical regions of Latin America.”
“The capybara is a game animal only in the sense that a hare or rabbit is.”
“The capybara is a distant cousin to the common guinea pig but bigger and river-based like a beaver.”
“I think the least interesting way to talk about the capybara is the broadest one mammal/genre, when you’re talking about capybaras.”
Lists
These user-created lists contain the word ‘capybara’.
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A-R-A Words
It's an odd-looking pattern in English. Please add words if it makes you happy. :) K-POW! Wow @gulyasrobi!
scarab, Arawak, Sahara, Arab, pharaoh, caravan, carat, parachute, arachnid, Saran Wrap, Sarah, tarantella and 492 more...
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Gene Wolfe
Please contribute your favorite words from any of Gene Wolfe’s books to this prize-winning list.
In case you come across words in this list which are too commonplace to fit in, please ...gallipot, roost, badelaire, oblesque, execration, dhole, amschaspand, arctother, chalcedony, penitence, asimi, autarch and 839 more...
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tHe Best Animals Ever
giraffe, elepant, cattle, water buffalo, langur monkey, baboon, lion, antelope, cheetah, tapeworm, kangaroo, bullfrog and 102 more...
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MaRgInS
mArG(a)iNs
bipectinated, gutter, bifid, involute, hives, capybara, crenation, fragrant agrimony, runcinate, ragged, tharos, fringed pink and 20 more...
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Animals (besides pottos)
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robin, wagtail, frog, bunny, pronk, rabbit, fur, badger, mouse, bee, crepuscular, purr and 140 more...
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NeoVolt's Words
schadenfreude, serendipity, idiosyncrasy, loess, caducous, vagary, schematic, steeple, licentious, tangential, verisimilitude, vernacular and 385 more...
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Fun Words
Words that have funny meanings or are just fun to say.
kumquat, chimichanga, sarsparilla, rutabaga, rumpus, flummox, encrusted, prestidigitation, pomegranate, preposterous, dentiloquist, sepulchre and 323 more...
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kevincooper's Words
prosopopeia, lisle, magisterial, zeitgeist, zeugma, bloviate, apocryphal, bon mot, cacophony, euphony, brigandier, micturition and 313 more...
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Animals With Nifty Names
hamster, gerbil, ferret, horse, skink, newt, shark, octopus, weasel, panda, giraffe, hyena and 129 more...
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lucidityprevails's Words
lucidity, journalistic, truthiness, foolhardy, egotism, lesbian, orgasmic, activism, moonglow, voodoo, conquer, demolish and 534 more...
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Critters
cockle, cicada, appaloosa, brachiopod, bivalve, aye-aye, cygnet, alewife, chamois, ermine, drake, dugong and 381 more...
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Best beasts
agouti, doodlebug, colugo, yeti crab, gribble, unau, kudu, basenji, boomslang, triantelope, acouchy, hallucigenia and 75 more...
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animalia
Creatures with interesting names/lives.
salamander, badger, varmint, wombat, skink, tortoise, pika, gnu, pangolin, porpoise, serval, walrus and 53 more...
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A Day at the Zoo
Being animals, not necessarily limited to those commonly found in zoos.
chimpanzee, gorilla, elephant, giraffe, hippopotamus, rhinoceros, lion, tiger, bear, boa constrictor, cobra, monkey and 18 more...
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Animal Crackers
camel, dromedary, cabbit, doglet, wren, lynx, ermine, capybara, magpie, mallard, heron, loach and 33 more...
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Rodents
A list of types of rodent, focusing on those with unusual names.
cavy, chinchilla, rat, mouse, nutria, capybara, hyrax, viscacha, gerbil, gopher, beaver, jerboa and 17 more...
Tweets
Looking for tweets for capybara.
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