niata

Meanings

1. 1
   noun

   an extinct breed of small South American cattle, formerly found in Argentina and Uruguay, distinguished by a very short, broad, upturned muzzle and projecting lower jaw

   Darwin compared the flattened face of a niata to the muzzle of a pug dog.

2. 2
   adj

   of or relating to the Niata breed or its characteristic short-faced form

   A niata bull passed the breed's shortened muzzle to many of its calves.

Borrowed from River Plate Spanish ñata, the feminine of ñato, 'snub-nosed or pug-nosed,' in reference to the breed's foreshortened skull. English scientific and historical writing usually spells the breed Niata; Nata and Ñata also occur. Darwin's descriptions helped establish the name in English zoological literature.

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