peccary

noun

pec·​ca·​ry ˈpe-kə-rē How to pronounce peccary (audio)
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

Illustration of peccary

Examples of peccary in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Creatures people see regularly include bobcats, gray foxes, mule deer, coyotes, reptiles (though not in winter), and collared peccaries, which resemble small pigs and travel around in little family groups eating cacti. — Carrie Dennis, Travel + Leisure, 31 Dec. 2024 Two other species of peccary, the white-lipped and the Chacoan peccary, have distributions across central and northern South America and aren’t included in this proposal largely because their distribution doesn’t extend into what’s commonly understood to be continental North America. — Andrew McKean, Outdoor Life, 11 Dec. 2024 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 See All Example Sentences for peccary

Word History

Etymology

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

First Known Use

1697, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of peccary was in 1697

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“Peccary.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/peccary. Accessed 20 Mar. 2025.

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Kids Definition

peccary

noun
pec·​ca·​ry ˈpek-ə-rē How to pronounce peccary (audio)
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

More from Merriam-Webster on peccary

Nglish: Translation of peccary for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about peccary

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