aardwolf

[ ahrd-woolf ]

noun

, plural aard·wolves.

1. a striped, hyenalike mammal, Proteles cristatus, of southern and eastern Africa, that feeds chiefly on insects.

aardwolf

/ ˈɑːdˌwʊlf /

noun

1. a nocturnal mammal, Proteles cristatus, that inhabits the plains of southern Africa and feeds on termites and insect larvae: family Hyaenidae (hyenas), order Carnivora (carnivores)

Word History and Origins

Origin of aardwolf¹

1825–35; < Afrikaans erdwolf < Dutch aardwolf, equivalent to aarde earth + wolf wolf

Word History and Origins

Origin of aardwolf¹

C19: from Afrikaans, from aarde earth + wolf wolf

Example Sentences

They have their own family, Hyaenidae, comprising four species: the spotted hyena, striped hyena, brown hyena, and the aardwolf, which isn’t a wolf but looks like one.  

From National Geographic

But included also in the image sets are some rare and elusive animals, such as the aardwolf and the zorilla.

From BBC

Africa is home to the aardvark, the sole living member of the order Tubulidentata; the aardwolf, a hyena relative; and pangolins, or scaly anteaters, also in their own order, Pholidota.

From Scientific American

When the aardwolf came back, and sniffed out what he had done, he said things.

From Project Gutenberg

Like the aardvark—whose name means "earth pig"—the aardwolf feasts on insects in termite mounds. 

From National Geographic