cria: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
LowSpecialist / Technical
Quick answer
What does “cria” mean?
A young llama, alpaca, vicuña, or guanaco.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
A young llama, alpaca, vicuña, or guanaco.
A term used in camelid husbandry and zoology for a newborn or juvenile animal of certain South American camelid species.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No regional differences in meaning or usage; the term is used identically in both British and American English contexts.
Connotations
Neutral and technical in both varieties.
Frequency
Equally rare in both varieties, used only by specialists, farmers, or in contexts relating to South America.
Grammar
How to Use “cria” in a Sentence
The [camelid species] gave birth to a healthy cria.The [farmer/shepherd] is hand-rearing the cria.Vocabulary
Collocations
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Used in the trade of alpaca/llama wool, breeding, and livestock sales.
Academic
Used in zoology, animal husbandry, and anthropological texts concerning Andean cultures.
Everyday
Virtually never used in everyday conversation outside of specific communities.
Technical
Standard term in veterinary medicine and camelid farming manuals.
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “cria”
- Using it for baby animals of other species.
- Misspelling as 'criah' or 'criya'.
- Incorrect pluralization ('crias' is acceptable, but 'cria' can be used as a plural form as well).
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, it is a loanword from Spanish, fully adopted into English for use in specific technical contexts.
It is pronounced KREE-uh, with the stress on the first syllable.
Both 'crias' and 'cria' (as a collective plural, like 'sheep') are acceptable, though 'crias' is commonly used.
No, 'cria' is specific to New World camelids (llama, alpaca, vicuña, guanaco). A baby camel is called a 'calf'.
A young llama, alpaca, vicuña, or guanaco.
Cria is usually specialist / technical in register.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think: CRIAl is a little alpaca.
Conceptual Metaphor
N/A (Highly specific concrete noun)
Practice
Quiz
What is a 'cria'?