anteater

noun

ant·​eat·​er ˈant-ˌē-tər 

: any of several mammals that feed largely or entirely on ants or termites: such as

a

: any of a family (Myrmecophagidae) of New World edentates with a long narrow snout, a long tongue, and large salivary glands that includes the giant anteater and tamandua

b

: pangolin

c

: echidna

d

: aardvark

Examples of anteater in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Like anteaters, a tamandua's diet mainly consists of ants, eating up to 9,000 in one day. —Aaron Valdez, The Enquirer, 31 May 2024

The rest — a group that over the years has included lions, parrots, eagles, badgers, sloths, a capybara, a bearcat and an anteater — are usually just stopping through. —Claire Fahy, New York Times, 17 Mar. 2024

While dinosaurs walked the earth, early mammalia forms evolved that resembled badgers, flying squirrels, anteaters, and beavers. —Matt Hrodey, Discover Magazine, 1 Nov. 2023

Until recently, scientists believed that all silky anteaters belonged to the same species. —James Hall, Smithsonian Magazine, 10 Oct. 2023

Word History

First Known Use

1668, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing anteater

• giant anteater
• scaly anteater
• spiny anteater

Kids Definition

anteater

noun

ant·​eat·​er ˈant-ˌēt-ər 

: any of several mammals (as an echidna or aardvark) that feed on ants