armadillo (redirected from armadillos)

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.

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

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armadillo

Noun

pl -los a small S American burrowing mammal covered in strong bony plates [Spanish armado armed (man)]

Thesaurus

Noun

1.

armadillo - 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 Dasypodidae, family Dasypodidae - armadillos 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