Illustration of vicuña
- vicuña 1
vicuña
noun
vi·cu·ña
vi-ˈkün-yə 
vī-;
vī-ˈkü-nə
və-,
-ˈkyü-
variants
or vicuna
1
: a long-necked mammal (Lama vicugna synonym Vicugna vicugna) of the Andes from Peru to Argentina that is related to but somewhat smaller than the guanaco, has a light brown woolly coat that is paler below, is considered to the be ancestor of the alpaca, and has been historically hunted for its wool and meat
2
a
: the wool from the vicuña's fine lustrous undercoat
b
: a fabric made of vicuña wool
also
: a sheep's wool imitation of this
Examples of vicuña in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
For context, this year’s recipients of the two awards managed to produce merino wool that is finer than the best vicuna, Loro Piana said.
—
Martino Carrera, Footwear News, 29 May 2025
Large herds of camel-type animals called vicunas and guanacos, as well as foxes, pumas, and funky types of birds still thrive at 14,000 to 15,000 feet above sea level—but only this wee mouse can scale the whole volcano and live to tell the tale.
—Sara Kiley Watson, Popular Science, 31 Mar. 2020
They are not committed to a two-season cycle, private planes and yachts, sable and vicuna.
—Vanessa Friedman, New York Times, 5 Sep. 2019
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Martino Carrera, Footwear News, 29 May 2025
Large herds of camel-type animals called vicunas and guanacos, as well as foxes, pumas, and funky types of birds still thrive at 14,000 to 15,000 feet above sea level—but only this wee mouse can scale the whole volcano and live to tell the tale.
—Sara Kiley Watson, Popular Science, 31 Mar. 2020
They are not committed to a two-season cycle, private planes and yachts, sable and vicuna.
—Vanessa Friedman, New York Times, 5 Sep. 2019
Cite this Entry
“Vicuña.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/vicu%C3%B1a. Accessed 10 Jun. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
vicuña
noun
vi·cu·ña
variants
or vicuna
1
: a wild cud-chewing animal of the Andes that is related to the llama and alpaca
2
: the wool of the vicuña
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