aardwolf

American  

[ahrd-woolf] / ˈɑrdˌwʊlf /

noun

plural

aardwolves

1. a striped, hyenalike mammal, Proteles cristatus, of southern and eastern Africa, that feeds chiefly on insects.

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aardwolf British  

/ ˈɑːdˌwʊlf /

noun

1. a nocturnal mammal, Proteles cristatus, that inhabits the plains of southern Africa and feeds on termites and insect larvae: family Hyaenidae (hyenas), order Carnivora (carnivores)

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Etymology

Origin of aardwolf

1825–35; < Afrikaans erdwolf < Dutch aardwolf, equivalent to aarde earth + wolf wolf

Example Sentences

Nearly 185 countries support CITES, which protects more than 35,000 plant and animal species, including the orange-knee tarantula, the giant catfish, the aardwolf and the gorilla.

From Washington Post • Jan. 25, 2018

Africa is home to the aardvark, the sole living member of the order Tubulidentata; the aardwolf, a hyena relative; and pangolins, or scaly anteaters, also in their own order, Pholidota.

From Scientific American • Feb. 22, 2013

When the aardwolf came back, and sniffed out what he had done, he said things.

From The Way of the Wild by Rountree, Harry