Advertisement

Advertisement

quetzal

[ ket-sahl ]

noun

, plural quet·zals, quet·za·les [ket-, sah, -leys].
  1. 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. : Q.


quetzal

/ ˈkɛtsəl; kɛˈsɑːl /

noun

  1. Also calledresplendent 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
“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
Discover More

Word History and Origins

Origin of quetzal1

First recorded in 1820–30; from Latin American Spanish, from Nahuatl quetzalli “plumage of the quetzal bird”
Discover More

Word History and Origins

Origin of quetzal1

via American Spanish from Nahuatl quetzalli brightly coloured tail feather
Discover More

Example Sentences

They chose to paint it “quetzal,” a rich aqua color that serves as a uniting element for the room’s other pedestals.

Guatemalan authorities said they also seized documents, books, a laptop, compact discs, two cell phones, and a stuffed bird, possibly a quetzal, the symbol of Guatemala.

From Reuters

Red, blue, green, and gold drinks fan out like a quetzal’s rainbow of feathers across the six clear trays on Crick’s cart.

Paintings and decals of quetzals, the long-plumed, vibrantly colored national bird of Guatemala, are as common as murals of the Virgin of Guadalupe.

She serves the family lunch, then sits with them, helping the girls draw birds, including the Guatemalan quetzal, a reminder of Central America, the land they left.

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement


QuettaQuetzalcoatl