coypu

[koi-poo]

noun, plural coy·pus, (especially collectively) coy·pu.

a large, South American, aquatic rodent, Myocastor (or Myopotamus) coypus, yielding the fur nutria.

Nearby words

Origin of coypu

1785–95; < American Spanish coipú < Araucanian coipu

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for coypu

Another animal that is at least in one respect allied to the 'possum is the coypu.
The Gold Diggings of Cape Horn|John R. Spears
One was the common Magellan otter (Lutra felina), the other a nutria (Myopotamus coypu).
Cruise of the 'Alert'|R. W. Coppinger
Coypu are abundant in the fresh waters of South America, even small ponds being often tenanted by one or more pairs.
Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 7, Slice 6|Various

British Dictionary definitions for coypu

coypu

noun plural -pus or -pu

an aquatic South American hystricomorph rodent, Myocastor coypus, introduced into Europe: family Capromyidae. It resembles a small beaver with a ratlike tail and is bred in captivity for its soft grey underfur

the fur of this animal

Also called: nutria

Word Origin for coypu

C18: from American Spanish coipú, from Araucanian kóypu

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