armadillo
n. countablen. a small animal with a hard shell made of bony plates. It lives in warm parts of the Americas and uses its strong claws to dig.
n. a small, burrowing mammal of the family Dasypodidae, native to the Americas, characterized by a leathery skin and a bony armor.
The armadillo dug a hole in the garden.
While hiking in Texas, we spotted an armadillo scurrying across the dry grass.
The nine-banded armadillo is unique among mammals for its ability to survive in a wide range of habitats, from dense forests to arid deserts, provided there is sufficient soil for burrowing.
Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *h₂er-der. Proto-Indo-European *h₂(e)rmosder. Latin arma Proto-Indo-European *-h₂ Proto-Indo-European *-éh₂ Proto-Indo-European *-yéti Proto-Indo-European *-eh₂yéti Proto-Italic *-āō Latin -ō Latin armō ▲ Proto-Indo-European *-éh₂ Proto-Indo-European *-tós Proto-Indo-European *-eh₂tos Proto-Italic *-ātos Latin -ātus Latin armātus Old Spanish armado Spanish armado Proto-Indo-European *-lós Proto-Italic *-elos Latin -ulus Latin -ellus Old Spanish -iello Spanish -illo Spanish armadillobor. English armadillo Borrowed from Spanish armadillo, diminutive of armado (“armored”) in reference to its protective plates.