English Explanatory Dictionary

meerkat

English dictionary entry

Meanings

noun
  1. Suricata suricatta, a small carnivorous mammal of the mongoose family, from the Kalahari Desert, known for its habit of standing on its hind legs.

Pronunciation

/ˈmɪəkat/ /ˈmɪəɹkæt/ LL-Q1860 (eng)-I learned some phrases-meerkat.wav

Word forms

meerkat meerkats meercat mierkat

Etymology

From Afrikaans meerkat, transferred use of Dutch meerkat (“guenon [monkey]”), from Middle Dutch meercatte (literally “sea cat”), compare English mercat. Sometimes suggested to be influenced by or derived from an Indian source; compare Hindi मर्कट (markaṭ, “ape, monkey”) and Sanskrit मर्कट (markaṭa). Note however Old High German merikazza, so any influence from Indo-Aryan would have to be exceptionally early.

Synonyms

suricate
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