tatouay

[ tat-oo-ey, tah-too-ahy ]

noun

1. a naked-tailed armadillo, Cabassous unicintus, of tropical South America.

tatouay

/ ˌtɑːtʊˈaɪ; ˈtætʊˌeɪ /

noun

1. a large armadillo, Cabassous tatouay, of South America

Word History and Origins

Origin of tatouay¹

1825–35; < Spanish tatuay < Portuguese < Guarani tatu-ai, equivalent to tatu armadillo + ai worthless, lazy

Word History and Origins

Origin of tatouay¹

C16: from Spanish tatuay, from Guarani tatu ai, from tatu armadillo + ai worthless (because inedible)

Example Sentences

The best-known species of this genus, the tatouay or cabassou, T. unicinctus, is, after Priodon gigas, the largest of the group.

From Project Gutenberg