aardvark

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[edit] English

Aardvark
Aardvark

[edit] Alternative spellings

[edit] Etymology

Afrikaans from aarde, earth, and vark, pig; hence "earth-pig". Early European colonists in South Africa noticed that the animal was similar to a pig, while "aarde" hints at the animal's habit of burrowing. The word was loaned from Afrikaans in the late 18th century.

[edit] Pronunciation

  • (RP) IPA: /ɑːdvɑːk/

[edit] Noun

Singular
aardvark

Plural
aardvarks

aardvark (plural aardvarks)

  1. (zoology) A mammal, Orycteropus afer, of the order Tubulidentata, somewhat resembling a pig, common in some parts of sub-Saharan Africa. It burrows in the ground, and feeds mostly on termites, which it catches with its long, slimy tongue.
  2. (slang, particularly in the southeast US) A silly or credulous person who is prone to mistakes or blunders.
    I walked into the wrong bathroom like a total aardvark.

[edit] Synonyms

[edit] Translations

mammal

[edit] Afrikaans

[edit] Etymology

From Dutch.

[edit] Noun

aardvark

  1. (obsolete) aardvark

[edit] Usage notes

This word is obsolete; the extant form is erdvark.

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