meerkat

noun

meer·​kat ˈmir-ˌkat 

: any of several African mongooses

especially : a burrowing highly social primarily insectivorous mammal (Suricata suricatta) of southern Africa that is chiefly grayish with faint black markings and lives in usually large colonies

Illustration of meerkat

Examples of meerkat in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

That afternoon, Mugibelo told me that the meerkats aren’t just adorable. —AFAR Media, 30 Oct. 2025

From gorilla trekking in Rwanda and Uganda to visiting meerkat colonies and watching elephants wade through Botswana’s thriving waterways, these are 15 of the most remarkable African safaris. —Michaela Trimble, Vogue, 29 Sep. 2025

New carmakers pop up and disappear every year like meerkats in the Kalahari Desert. —Peter Lyon, Forbes.com, 28 Aug. 2025

Other exotic animals such as alligators and meerkats are also advertised on Wanhui restaurant’s Dazhong Dianping profile, which is a restaurant listings app, The Guardian reported. —Angel Saunders, People.com, 18 July 2025

Word History

Etymology

Afrikaans, from Dutch, a kind of monkey, from Middle Dutch meercatte monkey, from meer sea + catte cat

First Known Use

1801, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for meerkat

• allot
• barat
• begot
• besought
• bethought
• bloodshot
• boycott
• buckshot
• crackpot
• croat
• culottes
• dashpot

Kids Definition

meerkat

noun

meer·​kat ˈmir-ˌkat 

: a burrowing mammal of southern Africa that feeds chiefly on insects, is grayish with faint black markings, and lives in usually large colonies