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aardvark

aard·vark [ ˈärd-ˌvärk]

aardvark

noun

[ˈärd-ˌvärk]

Definition of aardvark

: a large burrowing nocturnal mammal (Orycteropus afer) of sub-Saharan Africa that has a long snout, extensible tongue, powerful claws, large ears, and heavy tail and feeds especially on termites and ants

Recent Examples on the Web

//An aardvark joined the Western Sculpture Park’s 15-piece collection last month.
— Jasmine Johnson, Twin Cities, "It’s a sculpture, it’s an aardvark, it’s a … storage shed? Western Sculpture Park celebrates a functional new piece.," 16 July 2019
//Consider Peppa’s compatriot in kid-friendly shows turned adult-skewing memes, Arthur the aardvark.
— Alex Abad-santos, Vox, "How Peppa Pig became an LGBTQ icon," 29 July 2019
//Ali the aardvark gave birth to the 3-pound baby boy late in December.
— The Enquirer, Cincinnati.com, "Help the Cincinnati Zoo name its new baby aardvark," 1 Jan. 2018
//Hippos and aardvarks also give milk without being anesthetized.
— Zoe Sayler, Smithsonian, "What Aardvark Milk Reveals about the Evolution of Lactation," 21 Mar. 2018
//Not all afrotherians exhibit testicondy — aardvarks, for instance, have descending testicles.
— New York Times, "The Evolutionary Origin of Descending Testicles," 29 June 2018
//Students will leave from the bootcamp Tuesday with reusable bags filled with aardvark paper straws to distribute to restaurants in their communities and hometowns to show residents sustainable alternatives to plastic straws.
— Wilborn P. Nobles Iii, NOLA.com, "Students join 'Entourage' actor Adrian Grenier in environmentalism workshop," 4 June 2018
//The unflappable Luke Skywalker, formerly a shimmering, golden Jedi, has become an aged, crotchety beard-o who drinks green sludge from the teat of a space aardvark.
— Steve Heisler, Chicago Reader, "Archive Dive / Arts / Film May the fourth be with you, even if the Reader's critics rarely become one with the force," 4 May 2018
//An aardvark is an odd African nocturnal mammal sometimes called an anteater.
— Michael Heaton, cleveland.com, "'Aardvark' is a strange beast of a movie (review)," 13 Apr. 2018

First Known Use of aardvark

1822, in the meaning defined above

History and Etymology for aardvark

borrowed from early Afrikaans aardvarken (modern erdvark), from aarde "earth" + vark "hog"; akin to Old English eorthe "earth" and to Old English fearh "young pig" — more at earth entry 1, farrow entry 1

Note: Current Afrikaans erdvark, as against early aardvarken, aardvark (with Afrikaans loss of the Dutch final syllable), reflects early competition in Afrikaans between standard Dutch aarde and the North/South Holland form erd(e) (with lengthened [e] or [ε]); as a simplex Afrikaans retains both with different senses: erd, "earth, clay," aarde "earth (the planet)."

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aardvark

noun