aardvark
n. countablen. a large African animal with a long nose, big ears, and a strong tail. It uses its long tongue to eat ants and termites at night.
n. a nocturnal burrowing mammal native to sub-Saharan Africa, characterised by a long snout, tubular ears, and a diet consisting primarily of ants and termites.
The aardvark uses its strong claws to dig into termite mounds.
During the night safari, we were lucky enough to spot an aardvark searching for insects in the tall grass.
Evolutionarily distinct from other mammals, the aardvark is the only living species in its order, possessing unique teeth that lack enamel and grow continuously throughout its life.
Borrowed from Afrikaans aardvark (obsolete), erdvark, from aarde (“earth”, from Middle Dutch aerde) + vark (“pig”, from Middle Dutch varken). Early European colonists in South Africa noticed that the animal was similar to a pig, while aarde hints at the animal's habit of burrowing.