A pig-like hoofed mammal native to Indonesia with distinctive curved tusks that grow upward from the jaw.
From Malay babirusa or babi (pig) plus rusa (deer), literally 'pig-deer.' The Malay name was adopted into English to describe this unique Indonesian animal.
The babirusa's weird upward-growing tusks confused European naturalists for centuries—they thought it was a hybrid between a pig and a deer, which is why the Malay name literally means 'pig-deer,' showing how indigenous naming captured observed features.
Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.