capybara

American  

[kap-uh-bahr-uh] / ˌkæp əˈbɑr ə /

Or capibara

noun

1. a South American tailless rodent, Hydrochaeris hydrochaeris, living along the banks of rivers and lakes, having partly webbed feet: the largest living rodent.

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capybara British  

/ ˌkæpɪˈbɑːrə /

noun

1. the largest rodent: a pig-sized amphibious hystricomorph, Hydrochoerus hydrochaeris, resembling a guinea pig and inhabiting river banks in Central and South America: family Hydrochoeridae

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Etymology

Origin of capybara

1765–75; < New Latin < Portuguese capibara < Tupi

Example Sentences

Samba escaped from a temporary enclosure at Marwell Zoo a day after arriving from Jimmy's Farm and Wildlife Park in Suffolk with another capybara, Tango.

From BBC • Mar. 25, 2026

In recent years the semi-aquatic capybara -- native to South America -- has gained a devoted following online, and its image is increasingly used on toys, clothing and home decor items.

From Barron's • Mar. 23, 2026

“My bet is that an opportunistic businessperson saw a trend, bought tons of capybara products from Chinese suppliers for very cheap and is selling them for a big profit.”

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 16, 2026

“Flow” A cat, a dog and a capybara walk into a boat and are forced to make do as a society.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 6, 2024

We turn to the rivers, and we see no musk-rat or beaver, but the coypu and capybara, slightly altered varieties of the original bizcacha ancestor.

From Charles Darwin by Allen, Grant