peccary

noun

pec·​ca·​ry ˈpe-kə-rē 

plural peccaries

: any of several largely nocturnal gregarious American mammals resembling the related pigs: such as

a

: a grizzled animal (Dicotyles tajacu) with an indistinct white collar

b

: a blackish animal (Tayassu pecari) with a whitish mouth region

Illustration of peccary

Examples of peccary in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Meanwhile, poaching of jaguar prey species, such as the brocket deer, peccary and iguana, is thought to impact the big cat’s food supply. — Tom Page, CNN Money, 13 Apr. 2026

The smelly, hairy animals with terrible eyesight are actually a type of mammal known as a collared peccary. — Shelby Slade, AZCentral.com, 24 July 2025

Jaguars also eat peccaries, capybaras, pacas, agoutis, deer, opossum, rabbits, armadillos, caimans, turtles and livestock, depending on their habitat. — Zach Bradshaw, The Arizona Republic, 17 Dec. 2024

The expansion of the records program extends only to the collared peccary (Pecari tajacu), which is native to the Southwest and commonly called javelina. — Andrew McKean, Outdoor Life, 11 Dec. 2024

Word History

Etymology

of Cariban origin; akin to Suriname Carib paki:ra peccary

First Known Use

1697, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

peccary

noun

pec·​ca·​ry ˈpek-ə-rē 

plural peccaries

: either of two American mammals of warm regions that gather in herds, are active usually at night, and look like but are much smaller than the related pigs