meerkat

noun

meer·​kat ˈmir-ˌkat How to pronounce meerkat (audio)
: 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

Illustration of meerkat

Examples of meerkat in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
These group dynamics and cooperation efforts are part of what makes meerkats so intelligent. Allison Futterman, Discover Magazine, 6 Nov. 2024 The puzzle of play The purpose of play — for children, monkeys, rats or meerkats — has proved surprisingly hard to pin down. Big Think, 24 June 2024 The Phoenix Zoo opened a new Predator Passage exhibit in 2023, giving visitors a glimpse of African lions, hyenas, meerkats, leopards, Rüppell’s Griffon vultures and Red River hogs. Shelby Slade, The Arizona Republic, 11 June 2024 The landscape is home to various animals including meerkats, the Kalahari lion, Cape cobras and gemsbok − a large member of the antelope family. Bebe Hodges, The Enquirer, 24 Apr. 2024 See all Example Sentences for meerkat 

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of meerkat was in 1801

Dictionary Entries Near meerkat

Cite this Entry

“Meerkat.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/meerkat. Accessed 4 Dec. 2024.

Kids Definition

meerkat

noun
meer·​kat ˈmir-ˌkat How to pronounce meerkat (audio)
: a burrowing mammal of southern Africa that feeds chiefly on insects, is grayish with faint black markings, and lives in usually large colonies

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