Related Searches
Nearby Words

Aardvark

 [ahrd-vahrk]   Origin

aard·vark

   [ahrd-vahrk]
noun
a large, nocturnal, burrowing mammal, Orycteropus afer, of central and southern Africa, feeding on ants and termites and having a long, extensile tongue, strong claws, and long ears.
Origin:
1825–35; < Afrikaans erdvark < Dutch aardvarken, equivalent to aarde earth + varken pig; see farrow1
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2012.
Cite This Source Link To Aardvark

:10

:09

:08

:07

:06

:05

:04

:03

:02

:01

Aardvark is always a great word to know.
So is doohickey. Does it mean:
a stew of meat, vegetables, potatoes, etc.
a gadget; dingus; thingumbob.
LEARN MORE UNUSUAL WORDS WITH WORD DYNAMO...
Collins
World English Dictionary
aardvark (ˈɑːdˌvɑːk)
 
—n
Also called: ant bear a nocturnal mammal, Orycteropus afer, the sole member of its family (Orycteropodidae) and order (Tubulidentata). It inhabits the grasslands of Africa, has long ears and snout, and feeds on termites
 
[C19: from obsolete Afrikaans, from aarde earth + varken pig]

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
Cite This Source
Etymonline
Word Origin & History

aardvark
1833, from Afrikaans Du., lit. "earth-pig" (the animal burrows), from aard "earth" (see earth) + vark "pig," cognate with O.H.G. farah (cf. Ger. Ferkel "young pig, sucking pig," a dim. form), O.E. fearh (see farrow).
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
Cite This Source
Partners:WordBloglinesCitysearchThe Daily BeastAsk AnswersAsk KidsLife123SendoriThesaurus
Dictionary.com, LLC. Copyright © 2012. All rights reserved.
About Privacy Policy Terms of Use API Careers Advertise with Us Contact Us Help
  • Please Login or Sign Up to use the Recent Searches feature
FAVORITES
RECENT
How many words do you know? FIND OUT