anteater
Americannoun
-
anteaters
plural
-
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.
-
the aardvark.
-
a pangolin.
-
an echidna.
noun
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of anteater
First recorded in 1755–65; ant + eat ( def. )
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
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
“Attenborough’s long-beaked echidna has the spines of a hedgehog, the snout of an anteater and the feet of a mole,” Oxford biologist James Kempton explained in the university’s release.
From Washington Times ● Nov. 10, 2023
She was called an "amiable anteater" with an "unbelievable nose", who resembled "a myopic gazelle".
From BBC ● Nov. 5, 2023
“Are these”—James held up a bag with eight bouncy balls inside, each with a letter written on it—“really Mr. Griswold’s games?’’James manipulated the balls in the bag so they spelled out the word anteater.
From "Book Scavenger" by Jennifer Chambliss Bertman
"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
Extant animals like giant armadillos and giant anteaters, related to Darwin’s ancient giant sloths, have experienced similar pressures.
From Salon ● Aug. 23, 2024
Bushy-tailed giant anteaters galloped in the dewy grass.
From New York Times ● Jan. 16, 2024
Threatened pangolins, known as armored anteaters, scramble along branches.
From Seattle Times ● Dec. 19, 2023
Thirteen out of the 26 children guessed correctly that anteaters ate ants, which wasn’t a good response rate for the first clue.
From "The Tipping Point" by Malcolm Gladwell
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
