meerkat

American  

[meer-kat] / ˈmɪər kæt /

noun

1. suricate.

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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

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Etymology

Origin of meerkat

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

Example Sentences

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

From Science Daily • May 20, 2024

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

In earlier film and TV career, you were best known for you comedic roles such as Albert in “The Birdcage” and Timon the meerkat in “The Lion King.”

From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 16, 2022

But recently he was asked to take over the role of Timon, the meerkat, for four months on a national tour.

From Washington Post • Jul. 21, 2022

The screen saver is the flying leopard and the meerkat that I drew, and Ray and I animated.

From "The Tenth Mistake of Hank Hooperman" by Gennifer Choldenko