aard·vark n. Zool. An edentate mammal, of the genus Orycteropus (Orycteropus afer), somewhat resembling a pig, common in some parts of Southern Africa. It is a nocturnal ungulate, burrows in the ground with its powerful claws, and feeds entirely on ants and termites, which it catches with its long, extensile, slimy tongue. It is the sole extant representative of the order Tubulidentata. [Spelled also Aard-vark.]
Syn: --ant bear, anteater, Orycteropus afer, oryctere, orycterope
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aardvark
n : nocturnal burrowing mammal of the grasslands of Africa that
feeds on termites; sole extant representative of the
order Tubulidentata [syn: ant bear, anteater, Orycteropus
afer]