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tenrec

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ten⋅rec

[ten-rek]
–noun
any of several insectivorous mammals of the family Tenrecidae, of Madagascar, having a long, pointed snout, certain species of which are spiny and tailless.
Also, tanrec.


Origin:
1720–30; < F < Malagasy tàndraka
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
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ten·rec   (těn'rěk')   
n.  Any of various insectivorous mammals of the family Tenrecidae, of Madagascar and adjacent islands, similar to the hedgehog but having a long pointed snout and often no tail.

[French, from Malagasy tandraka.]
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Encyclopedia

tenrec

any of 29 species of shrewlike and hedgehoglike mammals. Most are endemic to Madagascar and nearby islands, but the otter shrews (subfamily Potamogalinae) are native to the African mainland.

Learn more about tenrec with a free trial on Britannica.com.

Encyclopedia Britannica, 2008. Encyclopedia Britannica Online.
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