aardvark

English dictionary entry

Meanings

noun

The nocturnal, insectivorous, burrowing mammal Orycteropus afer, of the order Tubulidentata and somewhat resembling a pig. Common in some parts of sub-Saharan Africa.

Pronunciation

/ˈɑːd.vɑːk/ /ˈɑɹd.vɑɹk/ LL-Q1860 (eng)-Naomi Persephone Amethyst (NaomiAmethyst)-aardvark.wav en-us-aardvark.ogg aardvark.ogg

Word forms

aardvark aardvarks aard-vark erdvark

Etymology

Borrowed from Afrikaans aardvark (now rare), erdvark, from aarde (“earth”, from Middle Dutch aerde) + vark (“pig”, from Middle Dutch varken). Early European colonists in South Africa noticed that the animal was similar to a pig, while aarde hints at the animal's habit of burrowing.

Synonyms

Derived words

aardvark cucumber aardvarking aardvarklike Brazilian aardvark aardvark to zymurgy

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