jaçana

[ zhah-suh-nah, jah- ]

noun
  1. any of several tropical, ploverlike, aquatic birds of the family Jacanidae, most of them having extremely long toes and claws for walking on floating water plants.

Origin of jaçana

1
1640–50; <Portuguese jaçanã<Tupi jasaná

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British Dictionary definitions for jaçana

jaçana

/ (ˌʒɑːsəˈnɑː, ˌdʒæ-) /


noun
  1. any bird of the family Jacanidae, of tropical and subtropical marshy regions, having long legs and very long toes that enable walking on floating plants: order Charadriiformes: Also called: lily-trotter

Origin of jaçana

1
C18: from Portuguese jaçanã, from Tupi-Guarani jasaná

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