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meerkat

American  
[meer-kat] / ˈmɪər kæt /

noun

  • meerkats
    plural
  1. suricate.


meerkat British  
/ ˈmɪəˌkæt /

noun

  1. 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

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms


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.

See Examples For:

Artificial intelligence lets these glasses identify objects in our field of view, like a ficus tree or a Southern African meerkat.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 26, 2026

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

Concerns had been raised about her taking a meerkat from her farm near Braintree, Essex, to the pub, but Ms Marsh insisted she was being targeted by online trolls.

From BBC ● Jun. 3, 2025

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

From Science Daily ● May 20, 2024

Not a single meerkat went down to the pond.

From "Life of Pi" by Yann Martel

The zoo, which is based at the family-run farm in Old Hurst near Huntingdon, has more than 100 animals, including lions, tigers and meerkats.

From BBC ● Jul. 2, 2026

In exchange for crumbs of egg, wild meerkats will climb onto scales and even hold still for ultrasounds.

From Slate ● May 10, 2026

Humans appear to be much closer to animals like meerkats and beavers than to most other primates when it comes to exclusive mating, according to new research from the University of Cambridge.

From Science Daily ● Jan. 22, 2026

Are the meerkats that appear near the end of the story real or a hallucination?

From Los Angeles Times ● May 9, 2025

There was much pushing and shoving as the meerkats behind vied to reach the pond’s edge.

From "Life of Pi" by Yann Martel

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