pacu
pacu Lexical Profile
pacu Game Scores & Validity
• noun
Any of several species of omnivorous freshwater fish in the subfamily Serrasalminae, native to South American rivers and characterized by their distinctive, remarkably human-like square teeth adapted for crushing nuts, seeds, and plant matter.
"The local aquarium recently acquired a large pacu, which quickly drew crowds eager to observe its unusual, human-like teeth."
Word Nuance & Usage
Often confused with their close relatives, the piranhas, pacus are distinguished by their diet and dentition; pacus have square, human-like teeth used primarily for crushing nuts and seeds, whereas piranhas possess razor-sharp, interlocking teeth for shearing meat.
• Rhymes for pacu
Word Origin & Etymology
Derived from the Tupi-Guarani word 'pacu', a common name given to several related species of fruit-eating and nut-eating freshwater fish native to the Amazon and Orinoco river basins.