armadillo

American  

[ahr-muh-dil-oh] / ˌɑr məˈdɪl oʊ /

noun

plural

armadillos

1. any of several burrowing, chiefly nocturnal mammals constituting the family Dasypodidae, ranging from the southern U.S. through South America, having strong claws and a jointed protective covering of bony plates: used in certain areas for food.

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armadillo British  

/ ˌɑːməˈdɪləʊ /

noun

1. any edentate mammal of the family Dasypodidae of Central and South America and S North America, such as Priodontes giganteus ( giant armadillo ). They are burrowing animals, with peglike rootless teeth and a covering of strong horny plates over most of the body

2. another name for pichiciego

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Etymology

Origin of armadillo

1570–80; < Spanish, equivalent to armad ( o ) armed (< Latin armātus; arm ², -ate ¹ ) + -illo < Latin -illus diminutive suffix

Compare meaning

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

• aardvark vs. armadillo

Example Sentences

Keepers of the six-banded armadillo pair, native to South America, celebrated the milestone on Monday.

From BBC • Mar. 17, 2026

Today, there are only three survivors: the nine-banded armadillo, the Virginia opossum and the North American porcupine.

From Science Daily • May 28, 2024

A designer compares it to ‘a spherical armadillo.’

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 19, 2024

Eating armadillo meat is not a clear cause of leprosy, but capturing and raising armadillos, along with preparing its meat, are risk factors.

From Salon • Mar. 21, 2024

Under the pretext of holding up a measuring cup to see if he’d poured out enough armadillo bile, Harry sneaked a sidelong glance at the pair of them.

From "Harry Potter And The Goblet Of Fire" by J. K. Rowling