numbat

[ nuhm-bat ]

noun

1. banded anteater.

numbat

/ ˈnʌmˌbæt /

noun

1. a small Australian marsupial, Myrmecobius fasciatus, having a long snout and tongue and strong claws for hunting and feeding on termites: family Dasyuridae Also calledbanded anteater

Word History and Origins

Origin of numbat¹

First recorded in 1920–25, numbat is from the Nyungar word numbat

Word History and Origins

Origin of numbat¹

C20: from a native Australian language

Example Sentences

This is where the genome of the thylacine’s closest living cousin—the numbat—can help.

From Singularity Hub 

The striped, termite-eating numbat is Western Australia’s faunal emblem, and now lives only in small pockets of that state, although it once roamed throughout southern Australia.

From Singularity Hub