Definition of tapir
tapirs
alsotapir
: 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
People Are Reading
Recent Examples of tapir from the Web
-
This mosaic was home to varied assemblage of giant armadillos, camels, ground sloths, dire wolves, tapirs, and mammoths, but the cast of smaller animals would have looked more familiar.
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'tapir'. Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Illustration of tapir
Origin and Etymology of tapir
Portuguese tapir, tapira, from Tupi tapiʔíra
First Known Use: 1774
TAPIR Defined for English Language Learners
tapir
playDefinition of tapir for English Language Learners
-
: an animal that is like a pig with a long nose and short legs and that lives in tropical America and Southeast Asia
TAPIR Defined for Kids
tapir
playDefinition of tapir for Students
: a large hoofed plant-eating animal of tropical America and southeastern Asia that has short thick legs, a short tail, and a long flexible snout
Learn More about tapir
-
See words that rhyme with tapir Spanish Central: Translation of tapir Nglish: Translation of tapir for Spanish speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about tapir
Seen and Heard
What made you want to look up tapir? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).
Writing? Check your grammar now!