fauna
[ faw-nuh ]
/ ˈfɔ nə /
noun, plural fau·nas, fau·nae [faw-nee] /ˈfɔ ni/.
the animals of a given region or period considered as a whole.
a treatise on the animals of a given region or period.
(initial capital letter) Roman Religion. Bona Dea.
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Nearby words
faultless, faultlessly, faulty, faulty union, faun, fauna, faunal, faunistic, fauns, fauntleroy, fauntleroy suit
Origin of fauna
Related formsfau·nal, adjectivefau·nal·ly, adverb
Definition for fauna (2 of 2)
Bona Dea
[ boh-nuh dee-uh, dey-uh ]
/ ˈboʊ nə ˈdi ə, ˈdeɪ ə /
noun
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. 2019
Examples from the Web for fauna
British Dictionary definitions for fauna
fauna
/ (ˈfɔːnə) /
noun plural -nas or -nae (-niː)
all the animal life of a given place or time, esp when distinguished from the plant life (flora)
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
fauna
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
Medicine definitions for fauna
fauna
[ fô′nə ]
n. pl. fau•nas
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.
Science definitions for fauna
fauna
[ fô′nə ]
Plural faunas faunae (fô′nē′)
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.
Culture definitions for fauna
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.