armadillo

[ ahr-muh-dil-oh ]
See synonyms for armadillo on Thesaurus.com
noun,plural ar·ma·dil·los.
  1. any of several burrowing, chiefly nocturnal mammals constituting the family Dasypodidae, ranging from the southern U.S. through South America, having strong claws and a jointed protective covering of bony plates: used in certain areas for food.

Origin of armadillo

1
1570–80; <Spanish, equivalent to armad(o) armed (<Latin armātus;see arm2, -ate1) + -illo<Latin -illus diminutive suffix

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How to use armadillo in a sentence

  • Their clothing and arms had evidently been carried away, the bodies alone being left as a feast for the vultures and armadillos.

    The Settlers | William H. G. Kingston

British Dictionary definitions for armadillo

armadillo

/ (ˌɑːməˈdɪləʊ) /


nounplural -los
  1. any edentate mammal of the family Dasypodidae of Central and South America and S North America, such as Priodontes giganteus (giant armadillo). They are burrowing animals, with peglike rootless teeth and a covering of strong horny plates over most of the body

  2. fairy armadillo another name for pichiciego

Origin of armadillo

1
C16: from Spanish, diminutive of armado armed (man), from Latin armātus armed; compare armada

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012