aardvark

American  

[ahrd-vahrk] / ˈɑrdˌvɑrk /

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 British  

/ ˈɑːdˌvɑːk /

noun

1. Also called: ant bear.  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

---

Etymology

Origin of aardvark

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

Compare meaning

How does aardvark compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• aardvark vs. armadillo

Explanation

An aardvark is an African mammal with a long, flexible snout; rabbit-like ears; and powerful, shovel-like claws. Aardvarks are insectivores, meaning they primarily eat insects. Some people call aardvarks "antbears" due to their diet of social insects like ants and termites. While aardvarks resemble badgers or small pigs, they are related to neither: Aardvarks are the only living species in the order Tubulidentata. These nocturnal animals dig for food at night and use their long, sticky, worm-like tongue to extract insects from deep tunnels. The word aardvark comes from Afrikaans Dutch, literally meaning "earth-pig," a combination of aard, "earth," and vark, "pig."

Example Sentences

The show’s bespectacled title character is a gentle 8-year-old aardvark who spreads the joy of getting along with others.

From Salon • May 18, 2025

People have examined aardvark DNA in the past for studies of mammalian evolution, but never across wild populations.

From Science Daily • Dec. 18, 2023

The pup “is very active, and was using her sharp claws to dig like an adult aardvark, just hours after her birth,” the lead wildlife care specialist Cari Inserra said.

From New York Times • Jun. 17, 2022

“She is very active, and was using her sharp claws to dig like an adult aardvark, just hours after her birth,” lead wildlife care specialist Cari Inserra said in the statement.

From Seattle Times • Jun. 16, 2022

For instance, one African melon species is so well adapted to being eaten by a hyena-like animal called the aardvark that most melons of that species grow on the latrine sites of aardvarks.

From "Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies" by Jared M. Diamond