toucan

noun

tou·​can ˈtü-ˌkan How to pronounce toucan (audio)
-ˌkän,
tü-ˈkan,
-ˈkän How to pronounce toucan (audio)
: any of a family (Ramphastidae) of chiefly fruit-eating birds of tropical America with brilliant coloring and a very large but light and thin-walled bill

Examples of toucan in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Not exactly the most beautiful of birds, especially at a facility that houses brightly colored toucans, flamingos and macaws. Scott D. Pierce, The Salt Lake Tribune, 18 Aug. 2023 Other standout experiences: spotting sloths, toucans, and frogs, on nature walks with staff naturalists and dining at Ayla, the new Mediterranean restaurant and bar helmed by an Israeli and Palestinian chef duo. Devorah Lev-Tov, Travel + Leisure, 11 July 2023 On July 10, Lively's alcohol-free mixer brand, Betty Buzz, dropped a new commercial starring its founder and a toucan. Emily Tannenbaum, Glamour, 10 July 2023 When not battling tropical toucans, Lively has taken on a variety of acting projects in recent months. Henry Chandonnet, Peoplemag, 10 July 2023 Curl up in a hammock on your casita's terrace and take in the sights and sounds of the jungle canopy, from brightly colored bougainvillea and heliconia flowers to toucans and hummingbirds. House Beautiful, 16 June 2023 Situated between the Pacific and Caribbean coasts, this utopic Central American nation wins people over with its volcanoes, cloud forests, and wildlife, like sloths, capuchin monkeys, and toucans. Lilly Graves, Travel + Leisure, 6 June 2023 The plumed paradise birds, the great and little egret, blue-throated and amethyst hummingbirds, the bright green Carolina parakeet, the Toco toucan, the lyre bird, the silver pheasant, the velvet bird, the tanager, the resplendent trogon ... Mary Jo Dilonardo, Treehugger, 25 May 2023 The trap used to catch the toucan in November is no longer available, and she’s been unable to find anyone able or willing to assist with her toucan-catching expedition. Michael Cabanatuan, San Francisco Chronicle, 3 Mar. 2023 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'toucan.' 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

French, from Portuguese tucano, from Tupi tukána

First Known Use

1568, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of toucan was in 1568

Dictionary Entries Near toucan

Cite this Entry

“Toucan.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/toucan. Accessed 21 Sep. 2023.

Kids Definition

toucan

noun
: any of a family of mostly fruit-eating birds of tropical America with brilliant coloring and a very large but light bill

More from Merriam-Webster on toucan

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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