guacharo

[ gwah-chuh-roh ]

/ ˈgwɑ tʃəˌroʊ /

a nocturnal, fruit-eating, South American bird, Steatornis caripensis, the young of which yield an oil derived from their fat.

Also called oilbird.

Origin of guacharo

Borrowed into English from American Spanish around 1820–30

One afternoon we made an attempt on the other Guacharo cave, which lies in the cliff on the landward side of the Monos Boca.

At Last |Charles Kingsley
The following morning early we rowed away again, full of longing, but not of hope, of reaching one or other of the Guacharo caves.

At Last |Charles Kingsley
This fat is known by the name of butter or oil (manteca or aceite) of the Guacharo.

At Last |Charles Kingsley
We could see into and through the gap in Huevos, through which we had tried to reach the Guacharo cave.

At Last |Charles Kingsley

In habits the guacharo is wholly nocturnal, slumbering by day in deep and dark caverns which it frequents in vast numbers.

Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 12, Slice 6 |Various

guacharo

/ (ˈɡwɑːtʃəˌrəʊ) /

another name for oilbird

C19: from Spanish guácharo