viscacha

or viz·ca·cha

[ vi-skah-chuh ]

noun

1. a burrowing rodent, Lagostomus maximus, about the size of a groundhog, inhabiting the pampas of Paraguay and Argentina, allied to the chinchilla.
2. 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.

viscacha

/ vɪsˈkætʃə /

noun

1. a gregarious burrowing hystricomorph rodent, Lagostomus maximus, of southern South America, similar to but larger than the chinchillas: family Chinchillidae
2. See chinchilla
   mountain viscacha
   mountain viscacha the mountain chinchilla See chinchilla

Word History and Origins

Origin of viscacha¹

1595–1605; < Spanish < Quechua wisk’acha

Word History and Origins

Origin of viscacha¹

C17: from Spanish, from Quechuan wiskácha

Example Sentences

Closely related to the chinchilla is the viscacha, which is found very abundantly in the great pampas districts of South America.

From Project Gutenberg

In many forms this part of the sternum is much broader than the pieces which follow; this is so with the Viscacha.

From Project Gutenberg

There the biscacha, or viscacha—as it is indifferently spelt—plays pretty much the same part as the rabbit in our northern lands.

From Project Gutenberg

Why does the white huntsman earth himself like a timid viscacha?

From Project Gutenberg

The fur of the viscacha is not so pretty, being of a brownish and white mixture.

From Project Gutenberg