Illustration of quetzal
- quetzal 1
quetzal
noun
quet·zal
ket-ˈsäl 
-ˈsal
-ˈsal
plural quetzals also quetzales
ket-ˈsä-(ËŒ)lÄ?s
-ˈsa-
1
or less commonly quetzal bird
: any of several Central American trogons (genus Pharomachrus) that have brilliant green plumage above, a red breast, and in the males long upper tail coverts
2
Examples of quetzal in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Made with 400 quetzal feathers and gold detailing, the headdress is known for its intricate feather artistry, says Restall.
—
Sara Novak, Discover Magazine, 11 July 2024
The quetzal’s streamers, for their part, lost their tight interlocking structure, making the vanes a pennaceous-downy hybrid that lets much of the airflow pass through without producing much lift.
—Michael B. Habib, Scientific American, 16 Apr. 2024
In Peru, distances on a map may look short as the quetzal flies, but actually traversing them — often on narrow, vertiginous roads prone to washouts, rockslides, and a startling array of livestock — can be grindingly slow.
—Tom Vanderbilt, Travel + Leisure, 2 Dec. 2023
The family went into debt to pay a smuggler 48,000 quetzals, around $6,000, to bring Juana to the border.
—Lautaro Grinspan, ajc, 6 July 2024
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Sara Novak, Discover Magazine, 11 July 2024
The quetzal’s streamers, for their part, lost their tight interlocking structure, making the vanes a pennaceous-downy hybrid that lets much of the airflow pass through without producing much lift.
—Michael B. Habib, Scientific American, 16 Apr. 2024
In Peru, distances on a map may look short as the quetzal flies, but actually traversing them — often on narrow, vertiginous roads prone to washouts, rockslides, and a startling array of livestock — can be grindingly slow.
—Tom Vanderbilt, Travel + Leisure, 2 Dec. 2023
The family went into debt to pay a smuggler 48,000 quetzals, around $6,000, to bring Juana to the border.
—Lautaro Grinspan, ajc, 6 July 2024
See all Example Sentences for quetzal
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“Quetzal.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/quetzal. Accessed 26 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
quetzal
noun
quet·zal
ket-ˈsäl
-ˈsal
-ˈsal
plural quetzals or quetzales
-ˈsäl-Ä?s
: a brightly colored Central American bird with green feathers, a red breast, and in the male tail feathers often over two feet (60 centimeters) in length
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