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armadillo

   Also found in: Medical, Encyclopedia, Wikipedia, Hutchinson 0.02 sec.
ar·ma·dil·lo  (ärm-dl)
n. pl. ar·ma·dil·los
Any of several omnivorous, burrowing, edentate mammals (family Dasypodidae), native to southern North America and South America and characterized by an armorlike covering consisting of jointed bony plates.

[Spanish, diminutive of armado, armored, past participle of armar, to arm, from Latin armre, from arma, arms; see ar- in Indo-European roots.]

armadillo [ˌɑːməˈdɪləʊ]
n pl -los
1. (Life Sciences & Allied Applications / Animals) any edentate mammal of the family Dasypodidae of Central and South America and S North America, such as Priodontes giganteus (giant armadillo). They are burrowing animals, with peglike rootless teeth and a covering of strong horny plates over most of the body
(Life Sciences & Allied Applications / Animals)
fairy armadillo another name for pichiciego
[from Spanish, diminutive of armado armed (man), from Latin armātus armed; compare armada]
ThesaurusLegend:  Synonyms Related Words Antonyms
Noun1.armadilloarmadillo - burrowing chiefly nocturnal mammal with body covered with strong horny plates
edentate - primitive terrestrial mammal with few if any teeth; of tropical Central America and South America
Dasypus novemcinctus, nine-banded armadillo, peba, Texas armadillo - having nine hinged bands of bony plates; ranges from Texas to Paraguay
apar, three-banded armadillo, Tolypeutes tricinctus - South American armadillo with three bands of bony plates
cabassous, Cabassous unicinctus, tatouay - naked-tailed armadillo of tropical South America
Euphractus sexcinctus, peludo, poyou - Argentine armadillo with six movable bands and hairy underparts
giant armadillo, Priodontes giganteus, tatou, tatu - about three feet long exclusive of tail
chlamyphore, Chlamyphorus truncatus, fairy armadillo, pichiciago, pichiciego - very small Argentine armadillo with pale silky hair and pink plates on head and neck
Burmeisteria retusa, greater pichiciego - of southern South America
Translations
armadillo [ˌɑːməˈdɪləʊ] Narmadillo m
armadillo [ˌɑːrməˈdɪləʊ] ntatou m
armadillo
nGürteltier nt
armadillo [ˌɑːməˈdɪləʊ] narmadillo


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? Mentioned in ? References in classic literature
 
In South America, a similar relationship is manifest, even to an uneducated eye, in the gigantic pieces of armour like those of the armadillo, found in several parts of La Plata; and Professor Owen has shown in the most striking manner that most of the fossil mammals, buried there in such numbers, are related to South American types.
In the morning we had caught an armadillo, which although a most excellent dish when roasted in its shell, did not make a very substantial breakfast and dinner for two hungry men.
Two creatures like large armadillos had come down to the drinking-place, and were squatting at the edge of the water, their long, flexible tongues like red ribbons shooting in and out as they lapped.
 
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