tapir

American  

[tey-per, tuh-peer] / ˈteɪ pər, təˈpɪər /

noun

• tapirs,
  plural
• tapir
  plural

1. any of several large, stout, three-toed ungulates of the family Tapiridae, of Central and South America, the Malay Peninsula, and Sumatra, somewhat resembling swine and having a long, flexible snout: all species are threatened or endangered.

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tapir British  

/ ˈteɪpə /

noun

1. any perissodactyl mammal of the genus Tapirus, such as T. indicus ( Malayan tapir ), of South and Central America and SE Asia, having an elongated snout, three-toed hind legs, and four-toed forelegs: family Tapiridae

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• tapir
  plural
• tapirs
  plural

Etymology

Origin of tapir

1560–70; ≪ Tupi tapira

Explanation

If it's a hoofed mammal with a short, trunk-like nose, it's probably a tapir. Unless you spend a lot of time in the jungle, you're most likely to see a tapir at the zoo. It might take you a minute to identify a tapir, even if you frequent the South American and Southeast Asian jungles where most tapirs live. These horse and zebra relatives are rare, considered endangered or vulnerable because of human activity. The most distinctive thing about tapirs is probably the flexible nose, which is much shorter than an elephant's trunk but equally useful for grabbing leaves to eat.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

tapir tapirs

You won’t see deer, tapir, peccaries, monkeys or chicken-like curassows anywhere within trekking distance of habitation; they’ve all been eaten.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 29, 2026

The study offers insights into the impact of domestic dogs on wildlife, particularly on species of conservation concern such as the mountain tapir.

From Science Daily ● Apr. 17, 2024

It has since expanded to become a wildlife park featuring wallabies, capybara, tapir and lemur and many other species.

From BBC ● Dec. 24, 2021

Skeletons and skulls of a tapir, cougar and several primates formed a macabre lineup.

From Washington Post ● Jan. 25, 2018

The Brazil nuts they had been counting on to sustain them were in short supply, and the piglike tapir, with its prehensile snout, was elusive.

From "Death on the River of Doubt" by Samantha Seiple

Researchers who captured footage of dog attacks on endangered mountain tapirs in Colombia are calling for action to protect threatened wildlife.

From Science Daily ● Apr. 17, 2024

The fossils date from early in the Eocene epoch, when Earth was home to ancient relatives of many modern mammals, including tapirs, hippopotamuses and humans.

From Scientific American ● Jan. 25, 2023

The wildlife in Corcovado National Park includes all four Costa Rican monkey species, sloths, jaguars, anteaters, tapirs, sea turtles and over 220 species of butterflies.

From Seattle Times ● May 16, 2022

Some early kinds of rhinos looked like hippos or tapirs; one especially huge relative had such a long neck that it is sometimes called the “giraffe rhinoceros.”

From New York Times ● Jan. 6, 2021

Some, such as jaguars and tapirs, had migrated to higher ground during the rainy season, but there were still many animals all around them.

From "Death on the River of Doubt" by Samantha Seiple