: animal life
especially
: the animals characteristic of a region, period, or special environment
the diverse fauna of the island
compare flora
faunally
adverb
Did you know?
Faunus and Fauna were the Roman woodland god and goddess for whom animals were a particular concern. Faunus was the Roman equivalent of the Greek god Pan, and like Pan, he had goats' legs. Their goat-legged helpers, called fauns, were known for their love of pleasure and mischief. The fauna of a continent are often very similar across a broad east-west band; from north to south, however, they may vary greatly.
Examples of fauna in a Sentence
studying the diverse fauna of the island
studying the faunas of different islands
Recent Examples on the Web
Catenary's Bloom scratchers, though, take it up a notch, using pet-safe dyes to create a beautiful, natural design mimicking flora and fauna.
—
Medea Giordano, WIRED, 5 Nov. 2024
Six generations later, the business still blooms: Their own custom designs, which have been decorator go-tos for decades, retain the flora and fauna of these original references.
—Maya Ibbitson, Architectural Digest, 4 Nov. 2024
The placement of objects is incredibly inconsistent, the flora and fauna mutate, and the world itself is unstable, often melting into another landscape entirely.
—Dani Di Placido, Forbes, 3 Nov. 2024
While scientists have no definitive answer as to why their bodies reduced in size, Bergh said, clues can be found in the area’s fauna.
—Mithil Aggarwal, NBC News, 7 Aug. 2024
See all Example Sentences for fauna 
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Medea Giordano, WIRED, 5 Nov. 2024
Six generations later, the business still blooms: Their own custom designs, which have been decorator go-tos for decades, retain the flora and fauna of these original references.
—Maya Ibbitson, Architectural Digest, 4 Nov. 2024
The placement of objects is incredibly inconsistent, the flora and fauna mutate, and the world itself is unstable, often melting into another landscape entirely.
—Dani Di Placido, Forbes, 3 Nov. 2024
While scientists have no definitive answer as to why their bodies reduced in size, Bergh said, clues can be found in the area’s fauna.
—Mithil Aggarwal, NBC News, 7 Aug. 2024
See all Example Sentences for fauna
Dictionary Entries Near fauna
Cite this Entry
“Fauna.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fauna. Accessed 16 Nov. 2024.
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Medical Definition
fauna
noun
fau·na
ˈfȯn-ə, ˈfän- 
: animal life
especially
: the animals characteristic of a region, period, or special environment compare flora sense 1
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