guan
/ɡwɑn/
Word Rarity
Rare
Frequency: 2.78 in modern English
5
Scrabble Score
4
Letters
1
Syllables
4
Unique Chars
Meaning
noun
Any (member) of several species of birds in the genera Aburria, Chamaepetes, Oreophasis, Penelope, Penelopina, and Pipile, of the family Cracidae, limited to the Americas.
name
A surname.
Example Sentences
- "The 'true' (Penelope) guans also occur at a range of altitudes but like most species of cracids, are mostly restricted to forest, both montane and lowland. Piping-guans (Pipile) are primarily lowland species, whereas numerous monospecific (single-species genus) taxa of guans (i.e. Aburria, Penelopina, Oreophasis) are restricted to montane environments."
- "Most guans move among only the most rewarding trees, those having the largest fruit crops and/or the greatest reward per fruit. Nevertheless, solitary individuals and some guan groups - as well as the first-mentioned guans, once they deplete the fruit crops in the most popular trees - are stuck with the less rewarding trees."
- "The Crested Guan is a large, brown, turkeylike bird most frequently seen peering down from the treetops as it searches for fruit and leaves that make up its diet. As its name implies, this bird has a feathered crest that is frequently raised as it relates to nearby guans or to potential danger."
Etymology
From American Spanish, from Kuna kwama.
Origin
Word Breakdown
- Root: -, kwama
Inflected Forms
Phrases
Andean guan
band-tailed guan
Baudo guan
bearded guan
black guan
black-fronted piping guan
blue-throated piping guan
Cauca guan