fauna

[faw-nuh]

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.

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

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

Examples from the Web for faunal

Historical Examples of faunal

But three species are found in the faunal region of which this book treats.
The Butterfly Book
William Jacob Holland
But two species of the genus are known within our faunal limits.
The Butterfly Book
William Jacob Holland
Only one genus is represented in our faunal region, the genus Libythea.
The Butterfly Book
William Jacob Holland
Faunal relationships and geographic distribution of mammals in Oklahoma.
A Synopsis of the North American Lagomorpha
E. Raymond Hall
Four faunal associations seem to be recognizable in the area.
Fishes of Chautauqua, Cowley and Elk Counties, Kansas
Artie L. Metcalf

British Dictionary definitions for faunal

fauna

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 faunal

adj.

1877, from fauna + -al (1).

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.

faunal in Medicine