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pirarucu

 - 4 dictionary results

pi⋅ra⋅ru⋅cu

  [pi-rahr-uh-koo]
Use pirarucu in a Sentence
–noun
the arapaima.
Origin:
1830–40; < Pg < Tupi pirá-rucú lit., red fish
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
Cite This Source Link To pirarucu
ar·a·pai·ma   (ār'ə-pī'mə)   
n.  A large South American freshwater food fish (Arapaima gigas) that typically attains a length of 3 meters (10 feet). Also called pirarucu.

[American Spanish or Portuguese, both probably of Tupian origin .]
pi·ra·ru·cu   (pĭ-rär'ə-kōō')   
n.  See arapaima.

[Portuguese pirarucú, from Tupi pirá-rucú : pirá, fish + urucú, red.]
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Encyclopedia

pirarucu

ancient, air-breathing, giant fish of Amazonian rivers and lakes. One of the largest freshwater fishes in the world, the pirarucu attains a length of nearly 3 metres (10 feet) and a weight of 220 kg (485 pounds). The fish has a peculiar profile in that the front of the body is long and narrow, whereas the rear is flat and possesses only a rudimentary, rounded tail

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Encyclopedia Britannica, 2008. Encyclopedia Britannica Online.
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