anteater: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
B1Neutral
Quick answer
What does “anteater” mean?
A mammal that has a long snout and tongue, used for eating ants and termites.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
A mammal that has a long snout and tongue, used for eating ants and termites.
Any animal or person that feeds on ants; figuratively, a person with a keen or investigative approach to detail, often used humorously.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant lexical differences. Both varieties use the same term for the animal. Potential minor spelling differences in related compound words (e.g., ant-eater vs. anteater, but the closed form is standard).
Connotations
Identical. Evokes images of exotic wildlife, zoos, or nature documentaries.
Frequency
Equally low-frequency in both dialects, encountered primarily in natural history contexts.
Grammar
How to Use “anteater” in a Sentence
The [adjective] anteater [verb of action].Vocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “anteater” in a Sentence
verb
British English
- He managed to anteater his way through the entire plate of crumbs.
- Stop anteatering about in my private documents!
American English
- The reporter anteatered through decades of archived records.
- He's just anteatering for gossip.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Rare. Possibly in metaphorical sense: 'The auditor was an anteater, digging through every transaction.'
Academic
Used in zoology, biology, and ecology papers discussing mammalian diets or South American fauna.
Everyday
Used when talking about zoo animals, wildlife documentaries, or as a humorous comparison for someone with a long nose.
Technical
Specific to taxonomy (e.g., family Myrmecophagidae) and descriptions of morphological adaptations for myrmecophagy.
Vocabulary
Synonyms of “anteater”
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “anteater”
- Spelling: 'ant eater' (two words) is less common than the compound 'anteater'.
- Confusing with the aardvark, which is a different African mammal.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
No. Anteaters are native to Central and South America, while aardvarks are found in Africa. They are not closely related but both eat ants (convergent evolution).
Yes, but it is informal and humorous. It means to search through something meticulously or to consume something rapidly and thoroughly, akin to how an anteater eats.
The 'giant anteater' is the most iconic and largest species, often featured in media and zoos.
They are generally not aggressive towards humans but can be dangerous if threatened, using their powerful front claws for defence. They are wild animals and should be treated with caution.
A mammal that has a long snout and tongue, used for eating ants and termites.
Anteater is usually neutral in register.
Anteater: in British English it is pronounced /ˈæntiːtə(r)/, and in American English it is pronounced /ˈæntˌiːt̬ɚ/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “He eats like an anteater.”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think: 'ANT' + 'EATER' – it does exactly what its name says. It eats ants.
Conceptual Metaphor
LONG NOSE/INVESTIGATION IS A PROBE ("She anteatered her way through the files.")
Practice
Quiz
Which of the following is NOT a characteristic of a typical anteater?