Main Entry:

ta·pir

Pronunciation:

\ˈtā-pər also ˈtā-ˌpir or tə-ˈpir\

Function:

noun

Inflected Form(s):

plural tapirs also tapir

Etymology:

Portuguese tapir, tapira, from Tupi tapiʔíra

Date:

1774

: any of a genus (Tapirus) of herbivorous chiefly nocturnal perissodactyl mammals of tropical America and southeastern Asia from Myanmar to Sumatra that have a heavy sparsely hairy body and the snout and upper lip prolonged into a short flexible proboscis

[tapir illustration]