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jacana

jacana

noun hah-KAH-nah Rare
Animals & Nature Birds

Origin: From Tupí-Guaraní jaçanã, the indigenous name for the bird.

Usage Note

Jacana is a tropical wading bird known for its extraordinarily long toes that allow it to walk on floating vegetation. Several species exist across Central and South America and Africa. The word entered Spanish from the Tupí-Guaraní languages of South America. In ornithological texts the family name Jacanidae derives from the same root.

Examples

"La jacana camina sobre las hojas flotantes."

Natural Translation

The jacana walks on floating leaves.

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