jaçana
[ zhah-suh-nah, jah- ]
noun
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
11640–50; <Portuguese jaçanã<Tupi jasaná
- Also called lily-trotter.
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British Dictionary definitions for jaçana
jaçana
/ (ˌʒɑːsəˈnɑː, ˌdʒæ-) /
noun
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
1C18: from Portuguese jaçanã, from Tupi-Guarani jasaná
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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