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

You can prompt it, for example, to produce “a painting of a capybara sitting in a field at sunrise.”

From MIT Technology Review

Though it may have never seen this before, it can mix and match what it knows of paintings, capybaras, fields, and sunrises to dream up dozens of examples.

From MIT Technology Review

Venezuela: The country to the south takes us in a pretty weird direction by offering the capybara.

From The Daily Beast

We sat down to supper, Franz eager to partake of his capybara.

From Project Gutenberg

A little game, a capybara, and a bird like a crow with a brown rump, were hung on the screen.

From Project Gutenberg

The bony palate between the grinding teeth is sometimes as in the Hares very short, sometimes as in the Capybara very long.

From Project Gutenberg

Like its big relation, the capybara, it always takes up its abode in the neighbourhood of water.

From Project Gutenberg

The squeaking was still going on within, so we knew that Dame Capybara and her family were at home.

From Project Gutenberg