anteater

American  

[ant-ee-ter] / ˈæntˌi tər /

noun

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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Etymology

Origin of anteater

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

Example Sentences

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

From BBC • Oct. 14, 2025

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

Deep within the nest and with thicker walls, this chamber protects the queen and the king if, say, an anteater takes a swipe.

From New York Times • May 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