tapir
[ tey-per, tuh-peer ]
/ ˈteɪ pər, təˈpɪər /
noun, plural ta·pirs, (especially collectively) ta·pir.
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.
QUIZZES
DISCOVER THE INFLUENCE OF PORTUGUESE ON ENGLISH VIA THIS QUIZ!
We’ve gathered some interesting words donated to English from Portuguese … as well as some that just don’t translate at all. Do you know what they mean?
Question 1 of 11
Which of the following animal names traces its immediate origin to Portuguese?
Origin of tapir
1560–70; ≪ Tupi tapira
WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH tapir
taper, tapirWords nearby tapir
taphrogenesis, Tàpies, tap-in, tapioca, tapioca-plant, tapir, tapir mouth, tapis, tapis vert, tapotement, Tappan
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2021
Example sentences from the Web for tapir
British Dictionary definitions for tapir
tapir
/ (ˈteɪpə) /
noun plural -pirs or -pir
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
Word Origin for tapir
C18: from Tupi tapiira
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
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