viscacha

noun

vis·​ca·​cha vi-ˈskä-chə How to pronounce viscacha (audio)
variants or vizcacha
: any of several South American burrowing rodents (genera Lagostomus and Lagidium) closely related to the chinchilla

Illustration of viscacha

Illustration of viscacha

Examples of viscacha 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.
While our guide talked, viscachas — Peruvian chinchillas — scurried atop the walls and a quartet of wild llamas gathered on one of the lawns. Monisha Rajesh, Travel + Leisure, 20 Oct. 2024 And a small South American rodent called the red viscacha has a whopping 104. Ryan Cross, Science | AAAS, 23 June 2017

Word History

Etymology

Spanish vizcacha, from Quechua wisk'acha

First Known Use

1604, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of viscacha was in 1604

Dictionary Entries Near viscacha

Cite this Entry

“Viscacha.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/viscacha. Accessed 18 Dec. 2024.

More from Merriam-Webster on viscacha

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!