javelina

1 of 2

noun (1)

ja·​ve·​li·​na ˌhä-və-ˈlē-nə How to pronounce javelina (audio)
: peccary

jabalina

2 of 2

noun (2)

ja·​ba·​li·​na
ˌhäbəˈlēnə
variants or javelina
-ävə- How to pronounce jabalina (audio)
plural -s
: peccary

Examples of javelina in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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Noun
This discovery came after a necropsy was done on one of the dead javelinas. — Helena Wegner, Sacramento Bee, 29 Jan. 2025 The park is home to black bears, mountain lions, javelinas and bobcats, among other wildlife. — Sarah Bahari, Dallas Morning News, 19 Feb. 2026 Coyotes and javelinas roam through both neighborhoods. — Richard Ruelas, AZCentral.com, 4 Feb. 2026 Hundreds of bird, mammal, fish and amphibian species live at the park, and visitors might see mule deer, elk, javelina and squirrels. — Catherine Garcia, TheWeek, 27 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for javelina

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

American Spanish jabalina, from Spanish, feminine of jabalí wild boar, from Arabic jabalī

First Known Use

Noun (1)

1822, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of javelina was in 1822

Rhymes for javelina

See All Rhymes for javelina

Browse Nearby Words

javelin
javelina
javelin bat
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Javelina.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/javelina. Accessed 8 Jul. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on javelina

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about javelina

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