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

A zoo is celebrating the birth of a giant anteater pup, which zoologists say is "considered the most threatened mammal in Central America".

From BBC ● Apr. 1, 2026

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 showed them a picture of an anteater.

From "The Tipping Point" by Malcolm Gladwell

Giant anteaters have black and white diagonal stripes, dense shaggy hair and super-sized snouts.

From BBC ● Apr. 1, 2026

The creature is related to current armadillos, anteaters and sloths, though in contrast to some of its relatives, Mylodon did not burrow or climb trees.

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

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