jaçana

[ zhah-suh-nah, jah- ]

/ ˌʒɑ səˈnɑ, ˌdʒɑ- /

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noun

any of several tropical, ploverlike, aquatic birds of the family Jacanidae, most of them having extremely long toes and claws for walking on floating water plants.

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Also called lily-trotter.

Origin of jaçana

1640–50; <Portuguese jaçanã<Tupi jasaná

Words nearby jaçana

Jabrud, jac, jacal, Jacalyn, jacamar, jaçana, jacaranda, jacaré, Jacareí, jacinth, jack

How to use jaçana in a sentence

The Jacana belongs to a small family of birds with representatives throughout the tropics.
Color Key to North American Birds|Frank M. Chapman
It was the “faithful jacana” or “chuza,” as it is called in some places.
Popular Adventure Tales|Mayne Reid
The Common Jacana is black, with neck and shoulders of a reddish brown, and green wing-feathers.
Reptiles and Birds|Louis Figuier
There are several species of “jacana” in South America, and also some species in the tropical countries of the East.
The Forest Exiles|Mayne Reid

Going back to my chair, I found that neither jacana, nor gallinules, nor herons had been disturbed by my shot.
Edge of the Jungle|William Beebe

British Dictionary definitions for jaçana

jaçana

/ (ˌʒɑːsəˈnɑː, ˌdʒæ-) /

noun

any bird of the family Jacanidae, of tropical and subtropical marshy regions, having long legs and very long toes that enable walking on floating plants: order CharadriiformesAlso called: lily-trotter

Word Origin for jaçana

C18: from Portuguese jaçanã, from Tupi-Guarani jasaná

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