capybara

American

[kap-uh-bahr-uh] / ˌkæp əˈbɑr ə /

Or capibara

noun

a South American tailless rodent, Hydrochaeris hydrochaeris, living along the banks of rivers and lakes, having partly webbed feet: the largest living rodent.

capybara British

/ ˌkæpɪˈbɑːrə /

noun

the largest rodent: a pig-sized amphibious hystricomorph, Hydrochoerus hydrochaeris, resembling a guinea pig and inhabiting river banks in Central and South America: family Hydrochoeridae

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of capybara

1765–75; < New Latin < Portuguese capibara < Tupi

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

But years after that initial wave of capybara fever, the animals have emerged as one of the most ubiquitous figures in Mexico, leaving both tourists and locals at a loss.

From The Wall Street Journal

Raids have also been carried out dressed as the Grinch, a capybara and various other Marvel superheroes.

From BBC

A farm in Moray believes its pair of capybaras have been stolen.

From BBC

Although their distribution has since contracted, enough suitable habitat remains, along with prey such as capybaras and fish, to support their continued large size.

From Science Daily

Fish such as wolf fish, peacock bass, and South American lungfish were especially common, accompanied by reptiles including caimans and turtles, and mammals such as capybaras, pacas, and armadillos.

From Science Daily

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023