aardvark

American  

[ahrd-vahrk] / ˈɑrdˌvɑrk /

noun

• aardvarks
  plural

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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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• aardvarks
  plural

Etymology

Origin of aardvark

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

Compare meaning

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

• aardvark vs. armadillo

Explanation

An aardvark is an African mammal with a long, flexible snout; rabbit-like ears; and powerful, shovel-like claws. Aardvarks are insectivores, meaning they primarily eat insects. Some people call aardvarks "antbears" due to their diet of social insects like ants and termites. While aardvarks resemble badgers or small pigs, they are related to neither: Aardvarks are the only living species in the order Tubulidentata. These nocturnal animals dig for food at night and use their long, sticky, worm-like tongue to extract insects from deep tunnels. The word aardvark comes from Afrikaans Dutch, literally meaning "earth-pig," a combination of aard, "earth," and vark, "pig."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

aardvark aardvarks

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

From Salon ● May 18, 2025

People have examined aardvark DNA in the past for studies of mammalian evolution, but never across wild populations.

From Science Daily ● Dec. 18, 2023

That was different from some of the other offers he’d received to bring his popular aardvark character to TV.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 11, 2023

Researchers compared the genomes of these mammals with those of a diverse assortment of others, including an aardvark, a meerkat, a star-nosed mole and a human.

From New York Times ● Apr. 27, 2023

For instance, one African melon species is so well adapted to being eaten by a hyena-like animal called the aardvark that most melons of that species grow on the latrine sites of aardvarks.

From "Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies" by Jared M. Diamond

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 ● Mar. 14, 2026

In South Africa, the genetic information they gathered suggested three regional divisions of aardvarks, indicating that animals in western, central and eastern regions of South Africa were somewhat isolated from each other.

From Science Daily ● Dec. 18, 2023

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 ● Jul. 31, 2023

I haven’t had any encounters with aardvarks, although I think there may be one that lives in an apartment across the street.

From New York Times ● Feb. 20, 2022

For instance, one African melon species is so well adapted to being eaten by a hyena-like animal called the aardvark that most melons of that species grow on the latrine sites of aardvarks.

From "Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies" by Jared M. Diamond