aardvark

[ ahrd-vahrk ]

noun

1. a large, nocturnal, burrowing mammal, Orycteropus afer, of central and southern Africa, feeding on ants and termites and having a long, extensile tongue, strong claws, and long ears.

aardvark

/ ˈɑːdˌvɑːk /

noun

1. a nocturnal mammal, Orycteropus afer, the sole member of its family ( Orycteropodidae ) and order ( Tubulidentata ). It inhabits the grasslands of Africa, has long ears and snout, and feeds on termites Also calledant bear

Word History and Origins

Origin of aardvark¹

First recorded in 1825–35; from Afrikaans erdvark, from Dutch aardvarken, equivalent to aarde “earth” + varken “pig”; earth, farrow ¹

Word History and Origins

Origin of aardvark¹

C19: from obsolete Afrikaans, from aarde earth + varken pig

Example Sentences

Those factors led Epps to undertake the first study of the genetics of aardvarks in the wild and to develop noninvasive methods to do so.

From Science Daily

The changes provided a foundation for later adaptations to feed on plants and larger animals; over time these pioneers became the Mesozoic equivalents of otters, raccoons, flying squirrels and aardvarks.

From Scientific American

That was different from some of the other offers he’d received to bring his popular aardvark character to TV.

From Los Angeles Times

Researchers compared the genomes of these mammals with those of a diverse assortment of others, including an aardvark, a meerkat, a star-nosed mole and a human.

From New York Times

A team of researchers recently analyzed the longevities and lifestyles of nearly 1,000 species of mammals, ranging from aardvarks to zebras.

From Scientific American