vicuña

(noun)

A wild South American camelid that lives in the high alpine areas of the Andes. It is a relative of the llama, and is now believed to be the wild ancestor of domesticated alpacas, which are raised for their coats.

Related Terms

Examples of vicuña in the following topics:

  • The Inca People

    • On the other hand, a fine-spun, very soft cloth made from vicuña wool could only be used in religious ceremonies.

  • The Moche

    • The Moche also wove textiles, mostly using wool from vicuñas and alpacas.