peccary

[ pek-uh-ree ]

/ ˈpɛk ə ri /

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR peccary ON THESAURUS.COM

noun, plural pec·ca·ries, (especially collectively) pec·ca·ry.

any of several piglike hoofed mammals of the genus Tayassu, of North and South America, as T. tajacu (collared peccary, or javelina), having a dark gray coat with a white collar.

RELATED WORDS

hog, boar, porker

Nearby words

Origin of peccary

Borrowed into English from Carib around 1605–15

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

Examples from the Web for peccary

The hostility of the peccary to snakes is easily understood, as no sooner has it killed one than it makes a meal of it.
The Hunters' Feast|Mayne Reid
Of the peccary (dicotyles), there are two distinct species known—the “collared,” and the “white-lipped.”
The Hunters' Feast|Mayne Reid
The peccary, which prefers a partially open country, ranges from the Chaco to the densely wooded districts of the north.
Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 4, Slice 2|Various
It is there known as the “vaquira,” whence our word “peccary.”
The Hunters' Feast|Mayne Reid

This is just following the isothermal line, and proves that the peccary cannot endure the rigours of a severe winter climate.
The Hunters' Feast|Mayne Reid

British Dictionary definitions for peccary

peccary

/ (ˈpɛkərɪ) /

noun plural -ries or -ry

either of two piglike artiodactyl mammals, Tayassu tajacu (collared peccary) or T. albirostris (white-lipped peccary) of forests of southern North America, Central and South America: family Tayassuidae

Word Origin for peccary

C17: from Carib

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 peccary

peccary

pig-like animal of South America, 1610s, from Carib (Guiana or Venezuela) pakira, paquira.