llama

Meanings

1. 1nouncountable

   A South American mammal with a long neck and soft wool, related to the camel and often used to carry loads.

   Grammar: Countable: one llama, two llamas. Use a/an or the before it.

   Patterns

   • a herd of llamas
   • keep llamas
   • a llama trek

   We saw llamas grazing in the high fields of Peru.

   The farmer uses llamas to carry supplies up the mountain.

   Llamas are smaller than camels and have no hump.

2. 2noununcountable

   The wool or cloth made from the hair of this animal.

   Grammar: Uncountable when talking about the material: a coat made of llama.

   Patterns

   • made of llama
   • a llama sweater

   She bought a warm hat made of llama.

   This sweater is pure llama and very soft.

Word forms

Common combinations

a pack of llamas

A pack of llamas followed the guide down the trail.

llama wool

Llama wool is lighter than sheep's wool.

spit like a llama

He was so angry he looked like he might spit like a llama.

domesticated llama

The domesticated llama has been used by people for thousands of years.

Synonyms and how they differ

alpaca

A similar animal, but smaller with finer wool; llamas are larger and often used as pack animals.

vicuña

A wild South American camelid with very fine wool; it is not domesticated like the llama.

guanaco

A wild camelid that is the ancestor of the llama; it is not kept as a farm animal.

Commonly confused: llama or lama? llama or alpaca?

Practice

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