Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • noun Either of two small nocturnal anteaters (Tamandua tetradactyla or T. mexicana) of southern Mexico and Central and South America, having thick, bristly fur and dwelling in trees during the day.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • noun The little ant-bear or four-toed ant-eater of South America, Myrmecophaga tamandua.
  • noun [capitalized] The genus to which this species belongs, separated from Myrmecophaga, the animal being then called Tamandua tetradactyla.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun An anteater of the genus Tamandua.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • noun small toothless anteater with prehensile tail and four-clawed forelimbs; of tropical South America and Central America

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[Portuguese tamanduá, from Tupí ta-monduá, from monduar, to catch.]

Support

Help support Wordnik (and make this page ad-free) by adopting the word tamandua.

Examples

  • Giant anteaters usually eat up to 35,000 insects a day!!! some special types of anteaters such as tamandua and the silky anteaters travel from branch to branch to search for some tasty insects.

    Recently Uploaded Slideshows 2009

  • Once they learn to walk, the free ride is over—tamandua toddlers have to find ants on their own.

    ZooBorns Andrew Bleiman 2010

  • Once they learn to walk, the free ride is over—tamandua toddlers have to find ants on their own.

    ZooBorns Andrew Bleiman 2010

  • Once they learn to walk, the free ride is over—tamandua toddlers have to find ants on their own.

    ZooBorns Andrew Bleiman 2010

  • Once they learn to walk, the free ride is over—tamandua toddlers have to find ants on their own.

    ZooBorns Andrew Bleiman 2010

  • * Seeing the tamandua anteater swim across the Alto Madre de Dios river and then emerge at the other side.

    Archive 2006-04-01 WENDEE HOLTCAMP 2006

  • * Seeing the tamandua anteater swim across the Alto Madre de Dios river and then emerge at the other side.

    memories of Peru WENDEE HOLTCAMP 2006

  • Hanging from vines, mud fights in the hot springs, swimming - and paddling - down the Alto Madre de Dios River in the Amazon basin, wildlife monkeys, macaws, tamandua, many birds and insects and even a bushmaster - a very venomous snake, almost getting kidnapped by a cab driver in Lima, and being 'mosquito candy'.... but my heart was taken by the beautiful Yine Indian children who had such open and kind spirits.

    Archive 2006-04-01 WENDEE HOLTCAMP 2006

  • Hanging from vines, mud fights in the hot springs, swimming - and paddling - down the Alto Madre de Dios River in the Amazon basin, wildlife monkeys, macaws, tamandua, many birds and insects and even a bushmaster - a very venomous snake, almost getting kidnapped by a cab driver in Lima, and being 'mosquito candy'.... but my heart was taken by the beautiful Yine Indian children who had such open and kind spirits.

    amazon warrior woman returns! WENDEE HOLTCAMP 2006

  • Asmouelle the tamandua, stood be - fore the narrow wooden oval that was the Quorum table and glared at his colleagues.

    The Moment of the Magician Foster, Alan Dean, 1946- 1984

Comments

Log in or sign up to get involved in the conversation. It's quick and easy.