Definition of pangolin
: any of a family (Manidae of the order Pholidota) of Asian and African toothless mammals having the body covered dorsally with large imbricated horny scales —called also scaly anteater
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Recent Examples of pangolin from the Web
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Some zoos are already supporting efforts to save pangolins.
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In the past decade, there have been well over one million pangolins killed to feed this demand.
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IFAW wants China and other countries to take steps to curb the demand for pangolins, whose scales are used in traditional medicine in parts of Asia.
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A U.N. wildlife conference last year approved a ban on trade in all eight species of Asian and African pangolins.
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Gopp said the zoo and its partner organization, the Cleveland Zoological Society, also underwrite the use of dogs to sniff out contraband ivory, pangolin scales and other illegal materials in Africa.
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According to a Chicago Zoological Society release, pangolin scales are often used for jewelry.
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China’s craving for bits of other beasts—, rhino horns, pangolin scales, bear bile, tiger bones, sea-horse skeletons, donkey hides—has decimated fauna populations worldwide.
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But China is so big and so hungry that its appetites could well doom numerous species at once, from the armored pangolin to the Knysna sea horse, a monogamous fish endemic to South African estuaries.
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'pangolin.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Illustration of pangolin
Origin and Etymology of pangolin
Malay dialect pĕngguling
Learn More about pangolin
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Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about pangolin
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