armadillo

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Related to armadillo: Nine banded armadillo

ar·ma·dil·lo

(är′mə-dĭl′ō)

n. pl. ar·ma·dil·los

Any of various omnivorous burrowing mammals of the family Dasypodidae, native to southern North America and Central 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 armāre, from arma, arms; see ar- in Indo-European roots.]

armadillo

(ˌɑːməˈdɪləʊ)

n, pl -los

1. (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

2. (Animals) fairy armadillo another name for pichiciego

[C16: from Spanish, diminutive of armado armed (man), from Latin armātus armed; compare armada]

ar•ma•dil•lo

(ˌɑr məˈdɪl oʊ)

n., pl. -los.

any of several New World burrowing mammals of the family Dasypodidae, related to the anteater, covered with jointed plates of bone and horn.

[1570–80; < Sp, =armad(o) armed + -illo < Latin -illus diminutive suffix]

ar·ma·dil·lo

(är′mə-dĭl′ō)

Any of several toothless, burrowing mammals of South America and southern North America. Armadillos have an armor-like covering of jointed bony plates and roll up into a ball when attacked.

ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:

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Noun

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

Translations

Gürteltier

dazipo

vyötiäinen

gömbászkatatu

armadillo

[ˌɑːməˈdɪləʊ] N → armadillo m

armadillo

[ˌɑː^rməˈdɪləʊ] n → tatou m

armadillo

n → Gürteltier nt

armadillo

[ˌɑːməˈdɪləʊ] n → armadillo

armadillo

n armadillo

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.

It may be asked in ridicule, whether I suppose that the megatherium and other allied huge monsters have left behind them in South America the sloth, armadillo, and anteater, as their degenerate descendants.

View in context

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.

View in context

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.

View in context

1998; Davison and Bollinger, 2000; Moore and Robinson, 2004) and future research should compare armadillo depredation of quail and tortoise nests among areas with varying densities of these species' nests.

An evaluation of the nine-banded armadillo as predators of gopher tortoise and northern bobwhite quail nests in Florida

The new event pavilion, El Armadillo, will be available for hosting big events, parties, weddings and conferences.

-Four Seasons Resort Costa Rica Announces Opening of New Event Pavilion

COUNTRYSIDE: Can anyone please help me to get rid of armadillo problems?

Armadillos wreak havoc on land and buildings

On-demand video has taken off a lot recently", said Matt Wade, the digital manager of North Shields creative agency Armadillo.

Viewers will demand a smarter way of viewing

The Ecuadoran government reopened a call for tenders for the Armadillo oil field, in the Amazonian province of Orellana, where evidence has been found of settlements and movement of the Tagaeri and Taromenane peoples, who remain in voluntary isolation.

Ecuadoran peoples in voluntary isolation condemned to die

Only one of the 20 different species of armadillos lives in North America, the Nine-banded Armadillo (Dasypus novemcinctus).

The little armored one: armadillos continue to expand their territory in the United States

This company announced its new and improved Nitrile sleeves for the Vacu-Valve Platypus and Armadillo, two of the lowest-cost, lowest-maintenance dust collector valves available.

Dust collector valves

Shy Armadillo is desperate for a friend, but whenever any of the other animals come near he rolls himself into a ball and looks like a stone.