guano
/ˈɡwɑːnəʊ/ noun, verb
Forms guanos guanoes guanoing guanoed
- noun Dung from a sea bird or from a bat.
- noun Coccothrinax borhidiana, a variety of palm tree indigenous to Cuba.
- noun (obsolete) A variety of seabird.
- verb (transitive) To fertilize (land) with guano.
Etymology
Borrowed from Spanish guano, from Quechua wanu.
Webster’s 1913
- noun A substance found in great abundance on some coasts or islands frequented by sea fowls, and composed chiefly of their excrement. It is rich in phosphates and ammonia, and is used as a powerful fertilizer.
Etymology [Sp. guano, fr. Peruv. huanu dung.]
Sources: Wiktionary · Webster’s 1913 — from the Wiktionary entry “guano”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details