Illustration of peccary
peccary
noun
pec·ca·ry ˈpe-kə-rē 
plural peccaries
: any of several largely nocturnal gregarious American mammals resembling the related pigs: such as
a
: a grizzled animal (Tayassu tajacu) with an indistinct white collar
b
: a blackish animal (Tayassu pecari) with a whitish mouth region
Example Sentences
Recent Examples on the Web So does the white-lipped peccary, a shy pig that tends to disappear quickly when there’s hunting pressure. 
New York Times, 11 Mar. 2021 The hogs are considered an invasive species, much larger than their south Texas cousin the peccary, or javelina. Los Angeles Times, 27 Nov. 2020 Giant plants that reduced us to the size of Lilliputians lined the path as our hike led us to a clearing where agoutis, flying wild turkeys and peccaries dazzled us with their acrobatics. Dallas News, 20 Apr. 2020 Feral hogs, whose rooting in soil increases tree growth and attracts bird flocks, are replacing ecological work done by extinct giant peccaries in North America. Asher Elbein, New York Times, 26 Mar. 2020 There are three species of peccaries in the Americas. Karen Weintraub, New York Times, 19 Feb. 2020 The virus infects pigs, warthogs, European wild boar, American wild pigs, bush pigs, giant forest hogs and peccaries. Washington Post, 29 Sep. 2019 A half-dozen javelinas, a kind of peccary, scampered in the thick undergrowth. David Kelly, Los Angeles Times, 5 Oct. 2019 An animal caring for a sick, injured, or dead individual of its own kind is referred to as epimeletic behavior, and besides humans and great apes, it’s been documented in elephants, peccaries, and orcas, among other species. National Geographic, 19 June 2019 See More
New York Times, 11 Mar. 2021 The hogs are considered an invasive species, much larger than their south Texas cousin the peccary, or javelina. Los Angeles Times, 27 Nov. 2020 Giant plants that reduced us to the size of Lilliputians lined the path as our hike led us to a clearing where agoutis, flying wild turkeys and peccaries dazzled us with their acrobatics. Dallas News, 20 Apr. 2020 Feral hogs, whose rooting in soil increases tree growth and attracts bird flocks, are replacing ecological work done by extinct giant peccaries in North America. Asher Elbein, New York Times, 26 Mar. 2020 There are three species of peccaries in the Americas. Karen Weintraub, New York Times, 19 Feb. 2020 The virus infects pigs, warthogs, European wild boar, American wild pigs, bush pigs, giant forest hogs and peccaries. Washington Post, 29 Sep. 2019 A half-dozen javelinas, a kind of peccary, scampered in the thick undergrowth. David Kelly, Los Angeles Times, 5 Oct. 2019 An animal caring for a sick, injured, or dead individual of its own kind is referred to as epimeletic behavior, and besides humans and great apes, it’s been documented in elephants, peccaries, and orcas, among other species. National Geographic, 19 June 2019 See More Word History
Etymology
of Cariban origin; akin to Suriname Carib paki:ra peccary
First Known Use
1697, in the meaning defined above
Kids Definition
peccary
noun
pec·ca·ry ˈpe-kə-rē
plural peccaries
: a mostly tropical American animal that gathers in herds, is active at night, and looks like but is smaller than the related pig