any of several large Central and South American trogons of the genus Pharomachrus, having golden-green and scarlet plumage, especially P. mocino(resplendent quetzal), the national bird of Guatemala: rare and possibly endangered.
2.
a paper money and monetary unit of Guatemala, equal to 100 centavos. Abbreviation: Q.
Also called: resplendent trogon a crested bird, Pharomachrus mocinno, of Central and N South America, which has a brilliant green, red, and white plumage and, in the male, long tail feathers: family Trogonidae, order Trogoniformes (trogons)
2.
the standard monetary unit of Guatemala, divided into 100 centavos
[via American Spanish from Nahuatl quetzalli brightly coloured tail feather]
quezalorquezal (ˈkɛtsəl, kɛˈsɑːl, -ˈsɑːlɛs)
—n
[via American Spanish from Nahuatl quetzalli brightly coloured tail feather]