tapir

noun

ta·​pir ˈtā-pər 

also ˈtā-ˌpir

or tə-ˈpir

plural tapirs also tapir

: 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

Illustration of tapir

Examples of tapir in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

This region also supports rich wildlife, including Central American tapirs and several bird species. —Natalie Leticia Gallón, Miami Herald, 6 Feb. 2026

That could be a spaceship flying over an alien planet, a blimp over a European city set in the 1950s drawing from a photo, or an tapir running through far reaches of the Amazon rainforest. —Abhimanyu Ghoshal, New Atlas, 30 Jan. 2026

Malayan tapirs are an endangered species native to parts of Southeast Asia, including Malaysia, Thailand, and Sumatra. —Moná Thomas, PEOPLE, 27 Jan. 2026

Denver Zoo officials are investigating after the zoo’s two Malayan tapirs died, the zoo announced Friday. —Lauren Penington, Denver Post, 18 Jan. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Portuguese tapir, tapira, from Tupi tapiʔíra

First Known Use

1774, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

tapir

noun

ta·​pir ˈtā-pər 

plural tapir or tapirs

: any of several plant-eating hoofed mammals of tropical America and southeastern Asia that are related to the horse and rhinoceros and have a long flexible snout, a very short tail, and short thick legs