capybara

Or cap·i·ba·ra

[kap-uh-bahr-uh]

noun

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

capybara

/ ˌkæpɪˈbɑːrə /

noun

1. 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

Word History and Origins

Origin of capybara¹

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of capybara¹

C18: from Portuguese capibara, from Tupi

Example Sentences

"This year, there were three dead manatees, five dead buffalo. We found more than 10 caimans. We found turtles, capybaras, birds, thousands of dead fish," she said last June.

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“Flow” A cat, a dog and a capybara walk into a boat and are forced to make do as a society.

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A young capybara's escape from a zoo a fortnight ago gripped animal lovers across the globe.

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A capybara who went missing from a Shropshire zoo sparking news coverage around the world has been reunited with her family and is settling back in.

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Native to South America, capybara can grow to more than a metre in length and are the largest living rodents in the world.

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