jacamar

American

[jak-uh-mahr] / ˈdʒæk əˌmɑr /

noun

any tropical American bird of the family Galbulidae, having a long bill and usually metallic green plumage above.

jacamar British

/ ˈdʒækəˌmɑː /

noun

any bird of the tropical American family Galbulidae , having an iridescent plumage and feeding on insects: order Piciformes (woodpeckers, etc)

"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

Etymology

Origin of jacamar

1640–50; < French < Tupi jacamáciri

Vocabulary lists containing jacamar

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Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

The smallest species of jacamar is very common in the dry savannas.

From Wanderings in South America by Waterton, Charles

There are four species of jacamar in Demerara.

From Wanderings in South America by Waterton, Charles

The little three-toed jacamar possesses a few of the brilliant hues which adorn his brethren.

From The Western World Picturesque Sketches of Nature and Natural History in North and South America by Kingston, William Henry Giles

Its name amongst the Indians is una-waya-adoucati, that is, grandfather of the jacamar.

From Wanderings in South America by Waterton, Charles

"That must be a jacamar," said Herbert, trying to get nearer.

From The Mysterious Island by Verne, Jules

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023