tapir

American  

[tey-per, tuh-peer] / ˈteɪ pər, təˈpɪər /

noun

plural

tapirs,

plural

tapir

1. any of several large, stout, three-toed ungulates of the family Tapiridae, of Central and South America, the Malay Peninsula, and Sumatra, somewhat resembling swine and having a long, flexible snout: all species are threatened or endangered.

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tapir British  

/ ˈteɪpə /

noun

1. any perissodactyl mammal of the genus Tapirus, such as T. indicus ( Malayan tapir ), of South and Central America and SE Asia, having an elongated snout, three-toed hind legs, and four-toed forelegs: family Tapiridae

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Etymology

Origin of tapir

1560–70; ≪ Tupi tapira

Explanation

If it's a hoofed mammal with a short, trunk-like nose, it's probably a tapir. Unless you spend a lot of time in the jungle, you're most likely to see a tapir at the zoo. It might take you a minute to identify a tapir, even if you frequent the South American and Southeast Asian jungles where most tapirs live. These horse and zebra relatives are rare, considered endangered or vulnerable because of human activity. The most distinctive thing about tapirs is probably the flexible nose, which is much shorter than an elephant's trunk but equally useful for grabbing leaves to eat.

Example Sentences

You won’t see deer, tapir, peccaries, monkeys or chicken-like curassows anywhere within trekking distance of habitation; they’ve all been eaten.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 29, 2026

The study offers insights into the impact of domestic dogs on wildlife, particularly on species of conservation concern such as the mountain tapir.

From Science Daily • Apr. 17, 2024

A rare Malayan tapir, a species which is related to both the horse and the rhinoceros, has been born at Chester Zoo.

From BBC • Dec. 9, 2022

Other BRI routes pose a risk to such iconic animals as the large-antlered muntjac, the Malayan tapir, the white-handed gibbon, the Sumatra serow, and the critically endangered Edwards’s pheasant.

From Science Magazine • Nov. 3, 2021

The Brazil nuts they had been counting on to sustain them were in short supply, and the piglike tapir, with its prehensile snout, was elusive.

From "Death on the River of Doubt" by Samantha Seiple