Skip to the word

Added 9 October 2026

chachalaca

/ˌt͡ʃɑ.t͡ʃəˈlɑ.kə/ noun

noun Definition from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about chachalaca at Wordnik → Where our words come from →

Any of several cracid birds, of the genus Ortalis, limited to the Americas, that resemble the guans.

Origin

Late 19th century. From South American Spanish chachalaca, from Classical Nahuatl chachalacani (“tattler, gossiper”), from chāchalāni (“to make a hubbub, create an uproar”).

From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)

Back to today's word