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javelina

American  
[hah-vuh-lee-nuh] / ˌhɑ vəˈli nə /

noun

plural

javelinas,

plural

javelina
  1. collared peccary.


Etymology

Origin of javelina

An Americanism dating back to 1815–25; from Latin American Spanish jabalina, from Spanish: feminine of jabalín “wild boar,” dialectal variant of jabalí, from Arabic (khinzīr) jabalī “mountain (boar)”

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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.

Behrends, who lives nearby, said the desert hills are so quiet that some residents leave their homes unlocked, and the most excitement they see is wildlife, including rattlesnakes and wild javelina pigs.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 16, 2026

But as Bisbee and the club keep dancing, the javelina are running circles around them — shredding whatever they want, whenever they want.

From Salon • Oct. 27, 2023

The crew spotted significant numbers of elk, deer, javelina and even rabbits — but no additional cattle were found following the operation.

From Seattle Times • Feb. 28, 2023

The pangrams from yesterday’s Spelling Bee were javelin and javelina.

From New York Times • Aug. 16, 2022

The only thing that showed up, however, was a little band of javelina hogs, and I knew better than to shoot them.

From "Old Yeller" by Fred Gipson