Definitions
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.
- noun An insectivorous nocturnal bird (Nyctidromus albicollis) found from southern Texas through tropical Central and South America and having brown, black, and gray plumage with a white bib.
Etymologies
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition
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Examples
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The endemic Jamaican least pauraque (Siphonorhis americanus) is thought to be extinct, but some scant evidence suggests it may still survive.
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The endemic Jamaican least pauraque (Siphonorhis americanus), was once found mainly in this ecoregion, but now may be extinct, although some scant evidence suggests it may still be found in very reduced numbers.
Jamaican dry forests 2008
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As to whether either of the -cabros words indicates a pauraque or an owl, this is why birders and zoologists prefer Latin names.
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The goatsuckers are a group of birds whose members include the poorwill whip or not, the nighthawk, and yes, the pauraque.
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Their weird cries are reflected in the common names for many of the species, e.g., whippoorwill, chuck-will's-widow, poorwill, poor-me-one, potoo, and pauraque.
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I was a bit consoled, or at least distracted, when I followed the trail left by Webster's laconic definition pauraque n MexSp : CUIEJO and looked up cuiejo.
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Following my usual practice with unfamiliar plants and animals, I googled the Linnean name, in this case Nyctidromus albicollis, and what do you know, every hit gave the English name as "pauraque."
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cuiejo \kü'yāhō\ n modif. of AmerSp cuyeo : a tropical American nighthawk Nyctidromus albicollis the dried and ground bones of which are highly esteemed in parts of its range as a love potion — called also pauraque"Highly esteemed in parts of its range as a love potion"—why, it's lexicographical poetry!
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