meer·kat
(mîr′kăt′)n.
A small burrowing mongoose (Suricata suricatta) of southern Africa, having brownish-gray fur and a long tail, which it uses for balance when it stands on its hind legs. Also called suricate.
[Afrikaans, from Middle Dutch meercatte, monkey, perhaps a compound of meer, sea (because monkeys came to Europe from overseas); see mori- in Indo-European roots + catte, cat (from Germanic *kattuz); see cat, or perhaps a folk-etymological alteration of an Indic word akin to Marathi mākaḍ, monkey (from Middle Indic makkaṭa-, from Sanskrit markaṭaḥ, perhaps of Dravidian origin and akin to Kannada maṅga).]
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
meerkat
(ˈmɪəˌkæt)n
(Animals) any of several South African mongooses, esp Suricata suricatta (slender-tailed meerkat or suricate), which has a lemur-like face and four-toed feet
[C19: from Dutch: sea-cat]
Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014
su•ri•cate
(ˈsʊər ɪˌkeɪt)n.
a small burrowing South African colonial viverrid, Suricata suricatta, related to the mongooses.
Also called meerkat. [1775–85; earlier surikate < French < Dutch surikat macaque]
Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.
ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:
| Noun | 1. |  meerkat - a mongoose-like viverrine of South Africa having a face like a lemur and only four toesviverrine, viverrine mammal - small cat-like predatory mammals of warmer parts of the Old World genus Suricata, Suricata - meerkats slender-tailed meerkat, Suricata suricatta - a meerkat with a thin and elongated tail Suricata tetradactyla, suricate - burrowing diurnal meerkat of southern Africa; often kept as a pet |
Based on WordNet 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. © 2003-2012 Princeton University, Farlex Inc.