Illustration of hoatzin
hoatzin
noun
hoa·tzin
wä(t)-ˈsēn 
: a crested large South American bird (Opisthocomos hoazin) with blue facial skin, red eyes, brown plumage marked with white above, and claws on the first and second digits of the wing when young
Examples of hoatzin in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Chickens share the most DNA with the first bird ancestor, closely followed by hoatzin and emu.
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Sarah Lewin Frasier, Scientific American, 1 Apr. 2015
Sarah Lewin Frasier, Scientific American, 1 Apr. 2015
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'hoatzin.' 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
ultimately from Nahuatl huāctzin the laughing falcon (Herpetotheres cachinnans)
First Known Use
1661, in the meaning defined above
Dictionary Entries Near hoatzin
Cite this Entry
“Hoatzin.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hoatzin. Accessed 16 Apr. 2024.
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More from Merriam-Webster on hoatzin
Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about hoatzin
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