meerkat

American

[meer-kat] / ˈmɪər kæt /

noun

suricate.

meerkat British

/ ˈmɪəˌkæt /

noun

any of several South African mongooses, esp Suricata suricatta ( slender-tailed meerkat or suricate ), which has a lemur-like face and four-toed feet

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of meerkat

Dutch: literally, monkey, apparently equivalent to meer ( see mere ²) + kat cat

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.

One of the most familiar cooperative breeders to a human audience might be the meerkat, thanks to the documentary series Meerkat Manor.

From Slate • May 10, 2026

"When one meerkat calls, a neighbour is likely to reply," he adds.

From Science Daily • May 20, 2024

The Smithsonian’s National Zoo in Washington DC is celebrating the birth of meerkat pups for the first time in 16 years.

From BBC • May 24, 2023

Researchers compared the genomes of these mammals with those of a diverse assortment of others, including an aardvark, a meerkat, a star-nosed mole and a human.

From New York Times • Apr. 27, 2023

Not a single meerkat went down to the pond.

From "Life of Pi" by Yann Martel

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023