meerkat
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Related to meerkat: periscope
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).]
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]
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]
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Noun | 1. | ![]() viverrine, 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 |
Translations
Erdmännchen
nelisormimangusti
suricate
suricato