pangolin

American  

[pang-guh-lin, pang-goh-] / ˈpæŋ gə lɪn, pæŋˈgoʊ- /

noun

1. any mammal of the order Pholidota, of Africa and tropical Asia, having a covering of broad, overlapping, horny scales and feeding on ants and termites.

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pangolin British  

/ pæŋˈɡəʊlɪn /

noun

1. Also called: scaly anteater.  any mammal of the order Pholidota found in tropical Africa, S Asia, and Indonesia, having a body covered with overlapping horny scales and a long snout specialized for feeding on ants and termites

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Etymology

Origin of pangolin

1765–75; < Malay pengguling (dial. or bazaar Malay name for the animal) one who rolls up, equivalent to peng- agentive prefix + guling roll up or around; so called from its habit of curling into a ball when threatened

Example Sentences

Other animals such as pangolins and Tepui toads can also spin themselves into a cartwheel, but the contortion isn’t widespread in mammals, let alone reptiles.

From Science Magazine

Conservationists, meanwhile, say making it easier for farmers to raise animals used in traditional Chinese medicine could put endangered pangolins, snakes, and other animals at greater risk.

From Science Magazine

The Chinese pangolin is native to southern China and southeastern Asia and is one of the four pangolin species living in Asia, while another four can be found in Africa.

From Seattle Times

Other items often found smuggled into the country include pangolin scales, rhino horns and tiger carcasses.

From Reuters

To account for recombination, the researchers compared 18 bat and pangolin viruses closely related to SARS-CoV-2, and spliced them into 27 segments.

From Scientific American