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edentate - 8 dictionary results

e⋅den⋅tate

[ee-den-teyt]
–adjective
1. belonging or pertaining to the Edentata, an order of New World mammals characterized by the absence of incisors and canines in the arrangement of teeth and comprising the armadillos, the sloths, and the South American anteaters.
2. toothless.
–noun
3. an edentate mammal.

Origin:
1820–30; < L ēdentātus deprived of teeth, equiv. to ē- e- + dent- (s. of dēns) tooth + -ātus -ate 1
e·den·tate   (ē-děn'tāt')   
adj.  
  1. Lacking teeth.
  2. Of or belonging to the order Edentata, which includes mammals having few or no teeth, such as anteaters, armadillos, and sloths.
n.  A member of the Edentata.

[Latin ēdentātus, past participle of ēdentāre, to knock out the teeth : ē-, ex-, ex- + dēns, dent-, tooth; see dent- in Indo-European roots.]

Edentate

E*den"tate\, a. 1. Destitute of teeth; as, an edentate quadruped; an edentate leaf.

2. (Zo["o]l.) Belonging to the Edentata.

Edentate

E*den"tate\, n. (Zo["o]l.) One of the Edentata.

Main Entry: 1eden·tate
Pronunciation: (')E-'den-"tAt
Function: adjective
1 : lacking teeth
2 : being anedentate

Main Entry: 2edentate
Function: noun
: any mammal of the order Edentatacalled also xenarthran

edentate e·den·tate (ē-děn'tāt')
adj.
Lacking teeth.

edentate   (ē-děn'tāt')  Pronunciation Key 
Adjective   Lacking teeth.

Noun   Any of various mammals belonging to the order Xenarthra (or Edentata), having no front teeth and few or no back teeth. The lumbar vertebrae have extra joints, which add support during digging. Sloths, armadillos, and anteaters are edentates.
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