GUACHARO

oilbird, guacharo, Steatornis caripensis

(noun) nocturnal fruit-eating bird of South America that has fatty young yielding an oil that is used instead of butter

Source: WordNet® 3.1


Etymology

Noun

guacharo (plural guacharos or guacharoes)

A nocturnal bird of South America and Trinidad (Steatornis caripensis or Steatornis steatornis); the oilbird.

Source: Wiktionary


Gua*cha"ro, n. Etym: [Cf. Sp. guácharo sickly, dropsical, guacharaca a sort of bird.] (Zoöl.)

Definition: A nocturnal bird of South America and Trinidad (Steatornis Caripensis, or S. steatornis); -- called also oilbird.

Note: It resembles the goatsuckers and nighthawks, but feeds on fruits, and nests in caverns. A pure oil, used in place of butter, is extracted from the young by the natives.

Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition



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Word of the Day

6 June 2025

PUNGENCY

(noun) wit having a sharp and caustic quality; “he commented with typical pungency”; “the bite of satire”


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