peccary

pec·ca·ry | \ ˈpe-kə-rē

How to pronounce peccary (audio)

\

plural peccaries

Definition of peccary

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

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

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

Examples of peccary in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web The hogs are considered an invasive species, much larger than their south Texas cousin the peccary, or javelina. — Los Angeles Times, "Texas tackles wild hogs with high-stakes hunts," 27 Nov. 2020 Giant plants that reduced us to the size of Lilliputians lined the path as our hike led us to a clearing where agoutis, flying wild turkeys and peccaries dazzled us with their acrobatics. — Dallas News, "Costa Rican ecolodge is a sanctuary that reminds us why we travel in the first place," 20 Apr. 2020 Feral hogs, whose rooting in soil increases tree growth and attracts bird flocks, are replacing ecological work done by extinct giant peccaries in North America. — Asher Elbein, New York Times, "Pablo Escobar’s Hippos Fill a Hole Left Since Ice Age Extinctions," 26 Mar. 2020 There are three species of peccaries in the Americas. — Karen Weintraub, New York Times, "White-Lipped Peccary Species May Be in Steep Decline," 19 Feb. 2020 The virus infects pigs, warthogs, European wild boar, American wild pigs, bush pigs, giant forest hogs and peccaries. — Washington Post, "The Deadly African Virus That’s Killing Asia’s Pigs," 29 Sep. 2019 A half-dozen javelinas, a kind of peccary, scampered in the thick undergrowth. — David Kelly, Los Angeles Times, "Heading south in Steinbeck’s footsteps, with a Prius and a plan," 5 Oct. 2019 An animal caring for a sick, injured, or dead individual of its own kind is referred to as epimeletic behavior, and besides humans and great apes, it’s been documented in elephants, peccaries, and orcas, among other species. — National Geographic, "Mother hippo may be grieving dead baby in new video," 19 June 2019 Board a boat at Atalaya and cruise even deeper into the rainforest, on the lookout for monkeys, giant anteaters, tapirs, ocelots, armadillos, peccaries, caimans, and the numerous bird species that inhabit Manú National Park. — National Geographic, "Peru and the Amazon Expedition: Inca Wonders and Jungle Wildlife," 10 Sep. 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'peccary.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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Last Updated

4 Dec 2020

Cite this Entry

“Peccary.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/peccary. Accessed 19 Jan. 2021.

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