aardvark

American  

[ahrd-vahrk] / ˈɑrdˌvɑrk /

noun

1. a large, nocturnal, burrowing mammal, Orycteropus afer, of central and southern Africa, feeding on ants and termites and having a long, extensile tongue, strong claws, and long ears.

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aardvark British  

/ ˈɑːdˌvɑːk /

noun

1. Also called: ant bear.  a nocturnal mammal, Orycteropus afer, the sole member of its family ( Orycteropodidae ) and order ( Tubulidentata ). It inhabits the grasslands of Africa, has long ears and snout, and feeds on termites

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Etymology

Origin of aardvark

First recorded in 1825–35; from Afrikaans erdvark, from Dutch aardvarken, equivalent to aarde “earth” + varken “pig”; earth, farrow ¹

Compare meaning

How does aardvark compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• aardvark vs. armadillo

Example Sentences

Originally known as shrews, the small African mammals are more closely related to elephants, manatees and aardvarks and were officially renamed as sengi in 1998.

From BBC

The show’s bespectacled title character is a gentle 8-year-old aardvark who spreads the joy of getting along with others.

From Salon

The show's bespectacled title character is a gentle 8-year-old aardvark who spreads the joy of getting along with others.

From Salon

"Everyone had heard of aardvarks and they are considered very ecologically important but there has been little study of them," said Clint Epps, a wildlife biologist at Oregon State.

From Science Daily

The changes provided a foundation for later adaptations to feed on plants and larger animals; over time these pioneers became the Mesozoic equivalents of otters, raccoons, flying squirrels and aardvarks.

From Scientific American