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

Zookeeper Rosie Owen said: "It's so lovely to once again hear the pitter-patter of tiny, spotty and stripy Malayan tapir feet."

From BBC ● Dec. 9, 2022

Other BRI routes pose a risk to such iconic animals as the large-antlered muntjac, the Malayan tapir, the white-handed gibbon, the Sumatra serow, and the critically endangered Edwards’s pheasant.

From Science Magazine ● Nov. 3, 2021

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

Everywhere around him were tracks made by tapirs, peccaries, capybaras and lizards.

From New York Times ● Jan. 16, 2024

This may also explain why other animals with trunks, such as tapirs, never developed such dextrous trunks as elephants, as they never moved into open lands.

From Science Daily ● Nov. 28, 2023

Titanotheres belong in the order Perissodactyla, along with rhinoceroses, tapirs and horses.

From Seattle Times ● Sep. 15, 2023

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

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