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

He has turned more than half his farm over to a wildlife reserve where ostriches, deer and giant rodents called capybaras roam, and on the remainder practices sustainable farming.

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"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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