from
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48
Macaw \Ma*caw"\, n. [From the native name in the Antilles.]
(Zool.)
Any parrot of the genus {Ara}, {Sittace}, or {Macrocercus}.
About eighteen species are known, all of them found in
Central and South America. They are large and have a very
long tail, a strong hooked bill, and a naked space around the
eyes. The voice is harsh, and the colors are brilliant and
strongly contrasted; they are among the largest and showiest
of parrots. Different species names have been given to the
same macaw, as for example the {Hyacinthine macaw}, which has
been variously classified as {Anodorhyncus hyacynthinus},
{Anodorhyncus maximiliani}, and {Macrocercus hyacynthinus}.
[1913 Webster +PJC]
[1913 Webster]
{Macaw bush} (Bot.), a West Indian name for a prickly kind of
nightshade ({Solanum mammosum}).
{Macaw palm}, {Macaw tree} (Bot.), a tropical American palm
({Acrocomia fusiformis} and other species) having a
prickly stem and pinnately divided leaves. Its nut yields
a yellow butter, with the perfume of violets, which is
used in making violet soap. Called also {grugru palm}.
[1913 Webster]