Agoutis

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A type of rodent found in Central and South America, characterized by a long body and short legs and often living in forests or grasslands
2. A small, tropical rodent with a stout body and long tail, commonly inhabiting various ecosystems including tropical rainforests and savannas
3. A member of the family Dasyproctidae, known for its herbivorous diet and agility, often found in underbrush where it forages for fruits and seeds

Etymology: "Agoutis" is simply the plural of "agouti", the small, long-legged rodent of Central and South American forests. The singular comes from French "agouti", which was itself borrowed from Old Tupi "akuti", the name the Tupi people of Brazil gave to the animal. The same Tupi root also gave the name to the acouchi, a related rodent, which suggests the two animals were known by closely similar names in the language.