aardwolf

[ ahrd-woo lf ]
/ ˈɑrdˌwʊlf /

noun, plural aard·wolves.

a striped, hyenalike mammal, Proteles cristatus, of southern and eastern Africa, that feeds chiefly on insects.

Origin of aardwolf

1825–35; < Afrikaans erdwolf < Dutch aardwolf, equivalent to aarde earth + wolf wolf

Words nearby aardwolf

aam, aap, aar, aarau, aardvark, aardwolf, aargau, aarhus, aarnet, aaron, aaron's beard

British Dictionary definitions for aardwolf

aardwolf
/ (ˈɑːdˌwʊlf) /

noun plural -wolves

a nocturnal mammal, Proteles cristatus, that inhabits the plains of southern Africa and feeds on termites and insect larvae: family Hyaenidae (hyenas), order Carnivora (carnivores)

Word Origin for aardwolf

C19: from Afrikaans, from aarde earth + wolf wolf