anteater

noun

1. Any of several animals of South and Central America, in suborder Vermilingua, which are noted for eating ants and termites which they catch with their long sticky tongues.

2. Any of some other not closely related species that feed with ants, including pangolin (scaly anteater), echidna (spiny anteater), aardvark and numbat (banded anteater).

3. Toothless mammal of southern Africa and Asia having a body covered with horny scales and a long snout for feeding on ants and termitesanimal

   Similar: pangolin, scaly anteater

4. Any of several tropical American mammals of the family Myrmecophagidae which lack teeth and feed on ants and termitesanimal

   Similar: New World anteater

5. Nocturnal burrowing mammal of the grasslands of Africa that feeds on termites; sole extant representative of the order Tubulidentataanimal

   Similar: aardvark, ant bear, Orycteropus afer

6. Small Australian marsupial having long snout and strong claws for feeding on termites; nearly extinctanimal

   Similar: numbat, banded anteater, Myrmecobius fasciatus

7. A burrowing monotreme mammal covered with spines and having a long snout and claws for hunting ants and termites; native to New Guineaanimal

   Similar: echidna, spiny anteater

8. A burrowing monotreme mammal covered with spines and having a long snout and claws for hunting ants and termites; native to Australiaanimal

   Similar: echidna, spiny anteater