Kinkajous

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A nocturnal rainforest mammal with a prehensile tail, often found in Central and South America, known for its fruit-eating habits and sociable nature
2. This tree-dwelling animal, characterized by its fur and large eyes, primarily consumes fruits while displaying playful behavior and a unique climbing ability
3. A small, agile creature that belongs to the raccoon family, recognized for its distinctive appearance and nocturnal lifestyle, thriving in the lush canopies of tropical forests

Etymology: The "kinkajou" is a case of a name jumping from one animal to a completely different one. The name first belonged to a North American carnivore: French speakers in Canada borrowed an Algonquian word, which seems to have meant "wolverine," and turned it into "quincajou." The same Algonquian root also gave us "carcajou," another French name for the wolverine. Later, the name was transferred to a small tropical animal of Central and South America, a nocturnal treetop mammal related to raccoons, which has nothing in common with the wolverine beyond a rough resemblance in the naming. "Kinkajous" is simply the plural of "kinkajou," so it names more than one of these animals. The singular form carries the same story: a name that began in a northern forest and ended up in the rainforest canopy.