pangolin

noun

pan·​go·​lin ˈpaŋ-gə-lən 

ˈpan-

: any of a family (Manidae of the order Pholidota) of Asian and African toothless mammals having the body covered dorsally with large imbricated horny scales

called also scaly anteater

Illustration of pangolin

Examples of pangolin in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

An orphaned baby pangolin must learn how to climb on its own. — Jennifer Ouellette, ArsTechnica, 4 Oct. 2026

That data can then be used to stop poachers in different regions, and help efforts to re-introduce pangolins to their correct regions. — Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 1 July 2026

Like Temminck’s pangolin or coequal branches of government, retirement is in danger of going extinct. — Joshua Rivera, Vanity Fair, 8 June 2026

The African Pangolin Working Group (APWG) shared Stevie's story in a social media post on Sunday, June 7, as part of a milestone announcement that the organization has now facilitated the release of 85 pangolins back into the wild since 2016. — Moná Thomas, PEOPLE, 8 June 2026

Word History

Etymology

Malay dialect pĕngguling

First Known Use

1774, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for pangolin

• colin
• solan
• stolen
• stolon
• swollen
• tolan
• megacolon
• mesocolon
• semicolon

Kids Definition

pangolin

noun

pan·​go·​lin ˈpaŋ-gə-lən 

ˈpan-

: any of several Asian and African toothless mammals having the body covered with large overlapping horny scales