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noun Uncommon

fauna

FAW-nuh

Fauna (noun) means the animals of a particular region, habitat, or time period, considered as a group. Example: “The rainforest is home to an incredible variety of fauna.”

noun
1
The animals of a particular region, habitat, or time period, considered as a group.
"The rainforest is home to an incredible variety of fauna."

How to use fauna

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishAll the animal life of a place, as opposed to its plant life.

Common mistake

Fauna refers to animals; flora refers to plants — the two are often paired but mean different things.

Easily confused with
Common pairings
flora and fauna native fauna local fauna

Word forms

faunae plural, faunas plural, faunæ plural

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Fill the gap

Can you complete this real example?

The rainforest is home to an incredible variety of _____.

Etymology

From New Latin fauna, named after Fauna, the Roman goddess of animals and fertility.

Origin: New Latin

Related words

Rhymes for fauna

See all rhymes for fauna →

Frequently asked questions

What does “fauna” mean?

The word “fauna” means the animals of a particular region, habitat, or time period, considered as a group. In plain terms, all the animal life of a place, as opposed to its plant life.

How do you pronounce “fauna”?

“Fauna” is pronounced FAW-nuh (/ˈfɔːnə/ in IPA).

How do you use “fauna” in a sentence?

Here is “fauna” used in a sentence: “The rainforest is home to an incredible variety of fauna.”

What part of speech is “fauna”?

“Fauna” is a noun.

Where does the word “fauna” come from?

The word “fauna” comes from New Latin. From New Latin fauna, named after Fauna, the Roman goddess of animals and fertility.

Is “fauna” a common word?

“Fauna” is an uncommon word in modern English.

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