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Webster 1913 Edition
Armadillo
Arˊma-dil′lo
(ärˊmȧ-dĭl′lō̍)
, Noun.
pl.
Armadillos
(-lōz)
. [Sp.
armadillo
, dim. of armado
armed, p. p. of armar
to arm. So called from being armed with a bony shell.] (Zool.)
(a)
Any edentate animal if the family
Dasypidæ
, peculiar to America. The body and head are incased in an armor composed of small bony plates. The armadillos burrow in the earth, seldom going abroad except at night. When attacked, they curl up into a ball, presenting the armor on all sides. Their flesh is good food. There are several species, one of which (the peba) is found as far north as Texas. See Peba
, Poyou
, Tatouay
. (b)
A genus of small isopod Crustacea that can roll themselves into a ball.
Webster 1828 Edition
Armadillo
ARMADIL'LO
, n.A quadruped peculiar to America, called also tatoo, and in zoology, the dasypus. This animal has neither fore-teeth, nor dog-teeth; it is covered with a hard, bony shell, divided into movable belts, except on the forehead, shoulders and haunches, where it is not movable. The belts are connected by a membrane, which enables the animal to roll itself up like a hedge hog. These animals burrow in the earth, where they lie during the day time, seldom going abroad except at night. They are of different sizes; the largest 3 feet in length, without the tail. They subsist chiefly on fruits and roots; sometimes on insects and flesh. When attacked, they roll themselves into a ball, presenting their armor on all sides to any assailant; but they are inoffensive, and their flesh is esteemed good food.
Definition 2024
armadillo
armadillo
English
nine-banded armadillo
Noun
armadillo (plural armadillos or armadilloes)
- Any of a family of burrowing mammals covered with bony, jointed, protective plates, genus Dasypus.
- 2013 July 26, Nick Miroff, “Mexico gets a taste for eating insects …”, in The Guardian Weekly, volume 189, number 7, page 32:
- The San Juan market is Mexico City's most famous deli of exotic meats, where an adventurous shopper can hunt down hard-to-find critters …. But the priciest items in the market aren't the armadillo steaks or even the bluefin tuna.
-
Hyponyms
- (genus Dasypus): Andean hairy armadillo, beautiful armadillo, big hairy armadillo, Chacoan naked-tailed armadillo, dwarf armadillo, giant armadillo, great long-nosed armadillo, greater fairy armadillo, greater naked-tailed armadillo, hairy armadillo, hairy long-nosed armadillo, horned armadillo, Llanos long-nosed armadillo, naked-tailed armadillo, nine-banded armadillo, northern horned armadillo, northern three-banded armadillo, pink fairy armadillo, screaming hairy armadillo, seven-banded armadillo, six-banded armadillo, southern long-nosed armadillo, southern naked-tailed armadillo, southern three-banded armadillo, Texas armadillo, three-banded armadillo
Related terms
Translations
burrowing mammal covered with bony, jointed, protective plates
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See also
External links
Malay
Etymology
From English armadillo, from Spanish armadillo, diminutive of armado (“armored”), in reference to its protective plates.
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /a(r)madilo/
- Rhymes: -ilo, -lo, -o
Noun
armadillo
Spanish
Etymology
armado (“armored”) + -illo (“diminutive”), i.e. "little armored one"
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /aɾmaˈdiʎo/
Noun
armadillo m (plural armadillos)
Synonyms
- ayotoste (Mexican Indian)