Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • noun Any of various South and Central American birds of the family Galbulidae, having iridescent plumage and a long bill.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • noun Any South American bird of the family Galbulidæ.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • noun (Zoöl.) Any one of numerous species of tropical American birds of the genus Galbula and allied genera. They are allied to the kingfishers, but climb on tree trunks like nuthatches, and feed upon insects. Their colors are often brilliant.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun Any of various insectivorous tropical birds, of the family Galbulidae, having iridescent plumage and a long, sharp bill.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • noun tropical American insectivorous bird having a long sharp bill and iridescent green or bronze plumage

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[French, possibly of Tupian origin.]

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Examples

  • A bird called jacamar is often taken for a kingfisher, but it has no relationship to that tribe.

    Wanderings in South America Charles Waterton 1823

  • This area is home to several endangered and endemic birds, including the white-necked parakeet, coppery-chested jacamar, and bicoloured antvireo.

    Eastern Cordillera real montane forests 2008

  • Lories are better food than the jacamar, the flesh of which is rather tough, but it was difficult to persuade

    The Mysterious Island 2005

  • “This will be a good opportunity to taste jacamar,” replied the sailor, “if that fellow is in a humor to be roasted!”

    The Mysterious Island 2005

  • “That must be a jacamar,” said Herbert, trying to get nearer.

    The Mysterious Island 2005

  • It was indeed a jacamar, of which the plumage shines with a metallic luster.

    The Mysterious Island 2005

  • Just then, a stone cleverly thrown by the boy, struck the creature on the wing, but the blow did not disable it, and the jacamar ran off and disappeared in an instant.

    The Mysterious Island 2005

  • Lories are better food than the jacamar, the flesh of which is rather tough, but it was difficult to persuade

    The Mysterious Island 2005

  • “That must be a jacamar,” said Herbert, trying to get nearer.

    The Mysterious Island 2005

  • It was indeed a jacamar, of which the plumage shines with a metallic luster.

    The Mysterious Island 2005

Comments

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  • "A bantam jacamar can stand athwart a jacaranda branch and catch all scarabs that gnaw at sassafras bark."

    Eunoia by Christian Bök (upgraded edition), p 27

    May 20, 2010