guanaco

noun

gua·​na·​co gwə-ˈnä-(ˌ)kō How to pronounce guanaco (audio)
plural guanacos also guanaco
: a long-necked South American mammal (Lama guanicoe) of dry, open country that has a soft, thick fawn-colored coat, is related to the camel but lacks a dorsal hump, and is considered to be the ancestor of the domesticated llama compare alpaca, llama

Illustration of guanaco

Illustration of guanaco

Examples of guanaco in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web In South America, guanacos – relatives of wild camels– range from sea level to the snow line in the Andes and attempt to interbreed with domestic llamas. Discover Magazine, 5 July 2024 Ancient people also painted human silhouettes and faces, as well as animal silhouettes, featuring large flightless birds called rheas and guanacos, close relatives of llamas. Will Sullivan, Smithsonian Magazine, 15 Feb. 2024 On the trek, guests will also stop in at a small alpaca farm and weaving center to learn the differences between llamas, alpacas, guanacos, and vicuñas, and get to watch women use traditional methods to dye dyeing wool and weave the wool. Stacey Leasca, Travel + Leisure, 31 Aug. 2023 Gutiérrez Alvarado and the other rangers recently counted 83 guanacos living in the park. Zack Savitsky, Quanta Magazine, 12 July 2023 See all Example Sentences for guanaco 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'guanaco.' 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, from Quechua wanaku

First Known Use

1604, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of guanaco was in 1604

Dictionary Entries Near guanaco

Cite this Entry

“Guanaco.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/guanaco. Accessed 27 Jul. 2024.

Kids Definition

guanaco

noun
gua·​na·​co gwə-ˈnäk-ō How to pronounce guanaco (audio)
plural guanacos
: a South American mammal that has a soft thick light grayish brown coat and is related to the camels but lacks a hump

More from Merriam-Webster on guanaco

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!