viscacha
Americannoun
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a burrowing rodent, Lagostomus maximus, about the size of a groundhog, inhabiting the pampas of Paraguay and Argentina, allied to the chinchilla.
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Also called mountain viscacha. a related rodent of the genus Lagidium, of the Andes, about the size of a squirrel, having rabbitlike ears and a squirrellike tail.
noun
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a gregarious burrowing hystricomorph rodent, Lagostomus maximus, of southern South America, similar to but larger than the chinchillas: family Chinchillidae
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the mountain chinchilla See chinchilla
Etymology
Origin of viscacha
1595–1605; < Spanish < Quechua wisk’acha
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 viscacha makes his home, like the rabbit, by burrowing in the ground, where he remains during daylight.
From Through Five Republics on Horseback, Being an Account of Many Wanderings in South America by G. Whitfield Ray
With regard to the viscacha it is very interesting to note that these highly-sociable little animals not only live peaceably together in each village, but that whole villages visit each other at nights.
From Mutual Aid; a factor of evolution by Petr Alekseevich Kropotkin, Prince
The prairie-dog's native home is on our Western plains, but he has a cousin away off in South America—although he may never have heard of him—called the viscacha.
From The Adventures of a Grain of Dust by Hallam Hawksworth
In their place is the equally destructive viscacha or prairie dog—a much larger animal, probably three or four times the size, having very low, broad head, little ears, and thick, bristling whiskers.
From Through Five Republics on Horseback, Being an Account of Many Wanderings in South America by G. Whitfield Ray
Then there is the taruco, a kind of deer, the viscacha, which is a big rat, the otoc, a sort of wild dog, or fox, and the ucumari, a black bear with a white nose.
From Tom Swift and His Big Tunnel, or, the Hidden City of the Andes by Victor [pseud.] Appleton
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