agouti

[ uh-goo-tee ]

noun,plural a·gou·tis, a·gou·ties.

any of several short-haired, short-eared, rabbitlike rodents of the genus Dasyprocta, of South and Central America and the West Indies, destructive to sugarcane.
an irregularly barred pattern of the fur of certain rodents.

an animal having fur of this pattern.

Origin of agouti

First recorded in 1725–35; from French, from Spanish agutí, from Tupian agutí, agoutí, acutí

Rarely a·gou·ty .

Words Nearby agouti

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use agouti in a sentence

It is said by the Indians that the jaguar decoys the agouti in the same manner, by counterfeiting his cry.
Buffon's Natural History. Volume VII (of 10) | Georges Louis Leclerc de Buffon
The akouchi is generally smaller than the agouti, and its hair is not red, but of an olive colour.
Buffon's Natural History. Volume IX (of 10) | Georges Louis Leclerc de Buffon
The akouchi confines itself solely to large forests; he feeds upon fruits, and has the same natural habits as the agouti.
Buffon's Natural History. Volume IX (of 10) | Georges Louis Leclerc de Buffon
As the mouse and the rat attack the gathered fruits of the earth, the agouti preys on those yet standing in the field.
Travels in Peru, on the Coast, in the Sierra, Across the Cordilleras and the Andes, into the Primeval Forests | J. J. von Tschudi
At first thought, Manuel was going to shoot the agouti, but he quickly thinks better of it.
Our Little Porto Rican Cousin | Mary Hazelton Wade

British Dictionary definitions for agouti

agouti

/ (əˈɡuːtɪ) /

nounplural -tis or -ties

any hystricomorph rodent of the genus Dasyprocta, of Central and South America and the Caribbean: family Dasyproctidae. Agoutis are agile and long-legged, with hooflike claws, and are valued for their meat
a pattern of fur in certain rodents, characterized by irregular stripes

Origin of agouti

C18: via French and Spanish from Guarani

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

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