Meanings
fauna1
plural faunae · plural faunas · plural faunæ
- uncountableAnimals considered as a group; especially those of a particular country, region, time, biological group, etc.First known use late 18th c.
the flora and fauna
1 more example
Japanese waters also support a rich and diverse shark fauna, including the smallest known shark Squaliolus laticaudus, and the bizarre goblin shark, Mitsukurina owstoni.
1983, Richard Ellis, The Book of Sharks, Knopf, →ISBN, page 199 - countableA particular group of animals as distinguished from another.
More than this, at least twenty genera, which are common to New Guinea and Aru, do not extend into Ceram, indicating with a force which every naturalist will appreciate, that the two latter countries have received their faunas in a radically different manner.
1869, Alfred Russel Wallace, The Malay Archipelago, volume II, London: Macmillan and Co., page 291 - countableA book cataloguing the animals of a country.
Fauna2
Synonyms & antonyms
nounall the animal life in a particular region or period
nouna living organism characterized by voluntary movement
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
fauna · noun
- LatinFauna
- New Latinfauna
- Englishfauna
Borrowed from New Latin fauna, from Latin Fauna, sister of Faunus (“god of forests and herdsmen”); akin to Ancient Greek θαῦνον (thaûnon, “wild animal, beast”), θώς (thṓs, “jackal, wild dog; panther”), Phrygian δάος (dáos, “wolf”).
More words from New Latin, Latin
Full word history & related roots →Fauna · proper noun
- Proto-Indo-European*dʰeh₂w-
- EnglishFauna
Feminine form of Faunus. Some refer it to Proto-Indo-European *dʰeh₂w-, whence Ancient Greek θαῦνον (thaûnon, “beast”), Illyrian-related Daunus. Some refer it to faveō.
More words from Proto-Indo-European
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Bulgarian фа́уна, животи́нски свят
- фа́уна (fáuna)animals considered as a group
- животи́нски свят (životínski svjat)animals considered as a group
Catalan fauna
- faunaanimals considered as a group
Chinese Mandarin 動物群 /动物群, 動物區系 /动物区系
- 動物群 /动物群 (dòngwùqún)animals considered as a group
- 動物區系 /动物区系 (dòngwù qūxì)animals considered as a group
- 動物誌 /动物志 (dòngwùzhì)a book, cataloging the animals of a country etc.
Czech zvířena, fauna
- zvířenaanimals considered as a group
- faunaanimals considered as a group
Danish fauna, dyreliv
- faunaanimals considered as a group
- dyrelivanimals considered as a group
Dutch fauna
- faunaanimals considered as a group
Esperanto bestaro, faŭno
- bestaroanimals considered as a group
- faŭnoanimals considered as a group
Estonian loomastik, loomariik
- loomastikanimals considered as a group
- loomariikanimals considered as a group
- faunaanimals considered as a group
Finnish eläimet, eläimistö
- eläimetanimals considered as a group
- eläimistöanimals considered as a group
French faune, faune
- fauneanimals considered as a group
- faunea book, cataloging the animals of a country etc.
German Fauna, Tierreich
- Faunaanimals considered as a group
- Tierreichanimals considered as a group
- Tierweltanimals considered as a group
Greek πανίδα
- πανίδα (panída)animals considered as a group
Hindi प्राणिजात
- प्राणिजात (prāṇijāt)animals considered as a group
Hungarian fauna, állatvilág
- faunaanimals considered as a group
- állatviláganimals considered as a group
Icelandic fána, dýraríki
- fánaanimals considered as a group
- dýraríkianimals considered as a group
Indonesian bebinatangan, dabat
- bebinatangananimals considered as a group
- dabatanimals considered as a group
- hewanahanimals considered as a group
- satwaanimals considered as a group
- karya faunaa book, cataloging the animals of a country etc.
- karya satwaa book, cataloging the animals of a country etc.
Italian fauna
- faunaanimals considered as a group
Japanese 動物相, 動物誌
- 動物相 (dōbutsusō)animals considered as a group
- 動物誌 (dōbutsushi)a book, cataloging the animals of a country etc.
Lithuanian gyvija, gyvūnija
- gyvijaanimals considered as a group
- gyvūnijaanimals considered as a group
Malay fauna
- faunaanimals considered as a group
Norwegian Bokmål fauna
- faunaanimals considered as a group
Persian پوشش جانوری, زیاگان
- پوشش جانوریanimals considered as a group
- زیاگان (ziyâgân)animals considered as a group
Polish fauna
- faunaanimals considered as a group
Portuguese fauna
- faunaanimals considered as a group
Romanian faună, regnul animal
- faunăanimals considered as a group
- regnul animalanimals considered as a group
Russian фа́уна, живо́тный мир
- фа́уна (fáuna)animals considered as a group
- живо́тный мир (živótnyj mir)animals considered as a group
- фа́уна (fáuna)a book, cataloging the animals of a country etc.
Scottish Gaelic ainmhidhean
- ainmhidheananimals considered as a group
Spanish fauna, fauna
- faunaanimals considered as a group
- faunaa book, cataloging the animals of a country etc.
Ukrainian фа́уна, фа́вна
- фа́уна (fáuna)animals considered as a group
- фа́вна (fávna)animals considered as a group
Rhymes & wordplay
Rhymes with fauna
All rhymes →Sounds the same
Cite this entry
fauna. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/fauna
“fauna.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/fauna. Accessed November 2, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “fauna,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/fauna.
Source: fauna on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.