Definitions of anteater
-
any of several tropical American mammals of the family Myrmecophagidae which lack teeth and feed on ants and termites
-
synonyms:
New World anteater
-
types:
-
Myrmecophaga jubata, ant bear, giant anteater, great anteater, tamanoir
large shaggy-haired toothless anteater with long tongue and powerful claws; of South America
-
Cyclopes didactylus, silky anteater, two-toed anteater
squirrel-sized South American toothless anteater with long silky golden fur
-
Tamandua tetradactyla, lesser anteater, tamandu, tamandua
small toothless anteater with prehensile tail and four-clawed forelimbs; of tropical South America and Central America
-
type of:
-
edentate
primitive terrestrial mammal with few if any teeth; of tropical Central America and South America
-
Myrmecophaga jubata, ant bear, giant anteater, great anteater, tamanoir
-
nocturnal burrowing mammal of the grasslands of Africa that feeds on termites; sole extant representative of the order Tubulidentata
-
synonyms:
Orycteropus afer, aardvark, ant bear
-
type of:
-
eutherian, eutherian mammal, placental, placental mammal
mammals having a placenta; all mammals except monotremes and marsupials
-
eutherian, eutherian mammal, placental, placental mammal
-
toothless mammal of southern Africa and Asia having a body covered with horny scales and a long snout for feeding on ants and termites
-
synonyms:
pangolin, scaly anteater
-
type of:
-
eutherian, eutherian mammal, placental, placental mammal
mammals having a placenta; all mammals except monotremes and marsupials
-
eutherian, eutherian mammal, placental, placental mammal
-
a burrowing monotreme mammal covered with spines and having a long snout and claws for hunting ants and termites; native to Australia
-
synonyms:
echidna, spiny anteater
-
type of:
-
egg-laying mammal, monotreme
the most primitive mammals comprising the only extant members of the subclass Prototheria
-
egg-laying mammal, monotreme
-
a burrowing monotreme mammal covered with spines and having a long snout and claws for hunting ants and termites; native to New Guinea
-
synonyms:
echidna, spiny anteater
-
type of:
-
egg-laying mammal, monotreme
the most primitive mammals comprising the only extant members of the subclass Prototheria
-
egg-laying mammal, monotreme
-
small Australian marsupial having long snout and strong claws for feeding on termites; nearly extinct
-
synonyms:
Myrmecobius fasciatus, banded anteater, numbat
-
type of:
-
dasyurid, dasyurid marsupial
small carnivorous nocturnal marsupials of Australia and Tasmania
-
dasyurid, dasyurid marsupial
DISCLAIMER: These example sentences appear in various news sources and books to reflect the usage of the word ‘anteater'.
Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Vocabulary.com or its editors.
Send us feedback
Word Family
EDITOR'S CHOICE
Look up anteater for the last time
Close your vocabulary gaps with personalized learning that focuses on teaching the words you need to know.
