vicuña

noun

vi·​cu·​ña vi-ˈkün-yə How to pronounce vicuña (audio)
vī-;
vī-ˈkü-nə How to pronounce vicuña (audio)
və-,
-ˈkyü-
variants or vicuna
1
: a long-necked mammal (Vicugna vicugna synonym Lama vicugna) of the Andes from Peru to Argentina that is related to but somewhat smaller than the guanaco, has a light brown woolly coat that is paler below, is considered to the be ancestor of the alpaca, and has been historically hunted for its wool and meat
2
a
: the wool from the vicuña's fine lustrous undercoat
b
: a fabric made of vicuña wool
also : a sheep's wool imitation of this

Illustration of vicuña

Illustration of vicuña
  • vicuña 1

Examples of vicuña in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Large herds of camel-type animals called vicunas and guanacos, as well as foxes, pumas, and funky types of birds still thrive at 14,000 to 15,000 feet above sea level—but only this wee mouse can scale the whole volcano and live to tell the tale. Sara Kiley Watson, Popular Science, 31 Mar. 2020 They are not committed to a two-season cycle, private planes and yachts, sable and vicuna. Vanessa Friedman, New York Times, 5 Sep. 2019

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'vicuña.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Spanish vicuña, from Quechua wik'uña

First Known Use

1604, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of vicuña was in 1604

Dictionary Entries Near vicuña

Cite this Entry

“Vicuña.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/vicu%C3%B1a. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

vicuña

noun
vi·​cu·​ña
variants or vicuna
vi-ˈkün-yə How to pronounce vicuña (audio) vī- How to pronounce vicuña (audio)
vī-ˈk(y)ü-nə,
və-
1
: a wild cud-chewing animal of the Andes that is related to the llama and alpaca
2
: the wool of the vicuña
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