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definitions

fauna

[faw-nuh]
See more synonyms for fauna on Thesaurus.com
noun, plural fau·nas, fau·nae [faw-nee] /ˈfɔ ni/.
  1. the animals of a given region or period considered as a whole.
  2. a treatise on the animals of a given region or period.
  3. (initial capital letter) Roman Religion. Bona Dea.

Origin of fauna

1765–75; < New Latin, special use of Latin Fauna, a feminine counterpart to Faunus; cf. Flora
Related formsfau·nal, adjectivefau·nal·ly, adverb

Bona Dea

[boh-nuh dee-uh, dey-uh]
noun
  1. an ancient Roman goddess of chastity and fertility.

Origin of Bona Dea

< Latin: literally, (the) Good Goddess
Also called Fauna.
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Related Words for fauna

animality, Animalia, fauna

Examples from the Web for fauna

Contemporary Examples of fauna

  • The area is a disturbed wetland, invaded by non-native melaleuca trees that have crowded out native flora and fauna.

    The Daily Beast logo
    How to Catch a Giant Python

    Catharine Skipp

    February 28, 2010

  • You think of the rainforest as this incredibly abundant place of fauna and animals and flora.

    The Daily Beast logo
    Raiders of the Lost City

    The Daily Beast

    February 24, 2009

Historical Examples of fauna

British Dictionary definitions for fauna

fauna

noun plural -nas or -nae (-niː)
  1. all the animal life of a given place or time, esp when distinguished from the plant life (flora)
  2. a descriptive list of such animals
Derived Formsfaunal, adjectivefaunally, adverb

Word Origin for fauna

C18: from New Latin, from Late Latin Fauna a goddess, sister of Faunus
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
Word Origin and History for fauna
n.

1771, collective name for animals of a certain region or time, from Late Latin Fauna, a Roman fertility goddess, wife, sister, or daughter (or some combination thereof) of Faunus (see faun).

Popularized by Linnaeus, who adopted it as a companion word to flora and used it in the title of his 1746 catalogue of the animals of Sweden, "Fauna Suecica." First used in English by naturalist Gilbert White.

Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
fauna in Medicine

fauna

[fô′nə]
n. pl. fau•nas
  1. Animals, especially the animals of a particular region or period, considered as a group.
The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
fauna in Science

fauna

[fô′nə]
Plural faunas faunae (fô′nē′)
  1. The animals of a particular region or time period.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
fauna in Culture

fauna

[(faw-nuh)]

Animals, especially the animals of a particular place and time.

The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.