numbat

[nuhm-bat]

noun

1. banded anteater.

numbat

/ ˈnʌmˌbæt /

noun

1. Also called: banded anteater. a small Australian marsupial, Myrmecobius fasciatus, having a long snout and tongue and strong claws for hunting and feeding on termites: family Dasyuridae

Word History and Origins

Origin of numbat¹

First recorded in 1920–25, numbat is from the Nyungar word numbat

Word History and Origins

Origin of numbat¹

C20: from a native Australian language

Example Sentences

The numbat - a small and little-known Australian marsupial - is one of the world's most endangered animals.

Read more on BBC

The smaller numbat, once widespread, clings on in only a few colonies in Western Australia.

Read more on Economist

The white and the black cockatoo are common to the three colonies, as are many kinds of the smaller parrots, the kangaroo, and the kangaroo-rat, the numbat, the opossum, the native cat, and many others.

Read more on Project Gutenberg