toucan

noun

tou·​can ˈtü-ˌkan How to pronounce toucan (audio)
-ˌkän,
tü-ˈkan,
-ˈkän How to pronounce toucan (audio)
: any of a family (Ramphastidae) of chiefly fruit-eating birds of tropical America with brilliant coloring and a very large but light and thin-walled bill

Examples of toucan in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
From tropical parrots and toucans to charming songbirds like swallows and canaries, colorful avian creatures are poised to soar onto our homes’ walls this year. Celia San Miguel, USA TODAY, 11 Mar. 2025 This trip is for those who want to immerse themselves in a natural world full of sloths, monkeys, macaws, and toucans on the Osa Peninsula, one of the most biodiverse places on the planet. Everett Potter, Forbes, 26 Feb. 2025 Head with a guide (from $90 a person, minimum four people) on a small powerboat into mangrove forests filled with manatees, crocodiles, giant iguanas, and toucans. Graham Averill, Outside Online, 7 May 2022 This is a design created by Caroline Scheufele, its naturalistic theme – replete with salamanders, toucans and leopards – a nod to the brand's Animal World collection of jewellery. Felix Bischof, theweek, 14 Oct. 2024 See All Example Sentences for toucan

Word History

Etymology

French, from Portuguese tucano, from Tupi tukána

First Known Use

1568, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of toucan was in 1568

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Toucan.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/toucan. Accessed 25 Mar. 2025.

Kids Definition

toucan

noun
: any of a family of mostly fruit-eating birds of tropical America with brilliant coloring and a very large but light bill

More from Merriam-Webster on toucan

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