anteater

American  

[ant-ee-ter] / ˈæntˌi tər /

noun

• anteaters
  plural

1. any of several mammals of the family Myrmecophagidae, having a long, tapered snout, extensile tongue, and powerful front claws and feeding chiefly on ants and termites.

2. the aardvark.

3. a pangolin.

4. an echidna.

5. banded anteater.

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anteater British  

/ ˈæntˌiːtə /

noun

1. any toothless edentate mammal of the family Myrmecophagidae of Central and South America, esp Myrmecophaga tridactyla (or jubata ) ( giant anteater ), having a long tubular snout used for eating termites See also tamandua

2. another name for pangolin

3. another name for echidna

4. another name for numbat

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• anteaters
  plural

Etymology

Origin of anteater

First recorded in 1755–65; ant + eat ( def. )

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

anteater anteaters

Nawee Changpirom has spent years working to rescue trafficked wildlife in Thailand, but even he can sometimes hardly believe the creatures he has found: leopards, hornbills, and once an anteater.

From Barron's ● Sep. 10, 2026

At a rehabilitation centre in Brazil, Fernando Faciole photographed an orphaned giant anteater pup trailing its caregiver.

From BBC ● Oct. 14, 2025

A tamandua, or collared anteater, with prizefighter arms and curved claws that break open termite mounds, tried to ignore a car full of onlookers.

From New York Times ● Jan. 16, 2024

Despite often being compared to pigs and South American anteater, aardvarks are not related to them.

From Science Daily ● Dec. 18, 2023

She showed them a picture of an anteater.

From "The Tipping Point" by Malcolm Gladwell

"The new arrival is already able to walk around on its own but, like all baby anteaters, prefers the safety of mum for now."

From BBC ● Apr. 1, 2026

Giant anteaters, meanwhile, are listed as vulnerable and have been targeted by poachers.

From Salon ● Aug. 23, 2024

Bushy-tailed giant anteaters galloped in the dewy grass.

From New York Times ● Jan. 16, 2024

In mammals, egg laying is limited to echidnas, sometimes known as spiny anteaters, and the platypus.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 20, 2023

The first set of puzzles about anteaters and elephants had to be easier than the set of puzzles about beavers and worms, which in turn had to be easier than the final set about fish.

From "The Tipping Point" by Malcolm Gladwell