Standard Lemma guide

chachalaca

noun · 2 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

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  • chä′-chə-lä′-kə
  • US: /ˌt͡ʃɑ.t͡ʃəˈlɑ.kə/
  • rhymes with -ɑːkə

1

noun

Meaning 1

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

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

slender arboreal guan resembling a wild turkey; native to Central America and Mexico; highly regarded as game birds

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: gallinaceous bird, gallinacean

Narrower terms: Texas chachalaca, Ortilis vetula macalli

History

Etymology

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

Across languages

Translations

5 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Finnish: kaklattaja — bird of the genus Ortalis
  • Ossetian: чачалакӕ (ḱaḱalakæ) — bird of the genus Ortalis
  • Portuguese: aracuã — bird of the genus Ortalis
  • Russian: чачалака (čačalaka) — bird of the genus Ortalis
  • Spanish: chachalaca — bird of the genus Ortalis