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aardwolf

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noun aard·wolf \-ˌwu̇lf\

Definition of aardwolf

plural

aardwolves

play \-ˌwu̇lvz\

  1. :  a maned striped nocturnal mammal (Proteles cristatus) of southern and eastern Africa that resembles the related hyenas and feeds chiefly on insects and especially termites

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Origin and Etymology of aardwolf

borrowed from early Afrikaans, from aarde “earth” + wolf “wolf”; akin to Old English eorthe “earth” and to Old English wulf “wolf” — more at 1earth, 1wolf ◆Regarding early Afrikaans aarde, see note at aardvark. The modern Afrikaans name for the animal is maanhaarjakkal.

Learn More about aardwolf

  1. Nglish: Translation of aardwolf for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of aardwolf for Arabic speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about aardwolf

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