vicuna

or vi·cu·ña

[ vahy-koo-nuh, -kyoo-, vi-, vi-koo-nyuh ]

noun

1. a wild South American ruminant, Vicugna vicugna, of the Andes, related to the guanaco but smaller, and yielding a soft, delicate wool: an endangered species, now increasing in numbers.
2. a fabric of this wool or of some substitute, usually twilled and finished with a soft nap.
3. a garment, especially an overcoat, of vicuna.

vicuña

/ vɪˈkjuːnə; vɪˈkuːnjə /

noun

1. a tawny-coloured cud-chewing Andean artiodactyl mammal, Vicugna vicugna, similar to the llama: family Camelidae
2. the fine light cloth made from the wool obtained from this animal

Word History and Origins

Origin of vicuna¹

1585–95; < Spanish vicuña < Quechua wik’uña

Word History and Origins

Origin of vicuna¹

C17: from Spanish vicuña, from Quechuan wikúña

Example Sentences

They are not committed to a two-season cycle, private planes and yachts, sable and vicuna.

From New York Times

They are about the difference between cashmere and vicuna.

From New York Times

Johnny Carson left the building in 1987 after an episode with Mr. Trump over a missing vicuna coat: The talk show host accused two Trump employees of stealing it and demanded that they be fired.

From New York Times

A similar problem has frustrated schemes to breed the vicuna, an Andean wild camel whose wool is prized as the finest and lightest of any animal’s.

From Literature

Outfits were prevalently in wool white, melange grey and vicuna beige, dotted with browns, greys, petrol blue a pond green.

From Reuters