meerkat

noun

meer·​kat ˈmir-ˌkat How to pronounce meerkat (audio)
: any of several African mongooses
especially : a burrowing highly social primarily insectivorous mammal (Suricata suricatta) of southern Africa that is chiefly grayish with faint black markings and lives in usually large colonies

Illustration of meerkat

Illustration of meerkat

Examples of meerkat in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
On both trips our daughters were able to get mere feet from a habituated mob of meerkats, which delighted them to no end, and have close encounters with rhinos (including a memorable gassy baby moment that taught us how sensitive their sense of smell is), lions, cheetahs, and more. Kathryn Romeyn, AFAR Media, 11 Feb. 2025 The El Paso Zoo will be hosting a livestream of the meerkats enjoying the bugs at 2:15 p.m. local time on Feb. 14 on Facebook and Instagram. Greta Cross, USA TODAY, 10 Feb. 2025 We hand-fed giraffes, spotted meerkats, participated in a rhinoceros encounter, and even went kayaking. Linnea Bailey, USA TODAY, 25 Jan. 2025 Visiting nature lovers can spot a few of the Big Five, add some birds to their life list or dine in the early morning alongside Namibia’s native meerkats, while those in need of a relaxing getaway can stick close to the lodge and unwind by the pool. Jared Ranahan, Forbes, 18 Dec. 2024 See All Example Sentences for meerkat

Word History

Etymology

Afrikaans, from Dutch, a kind of monkey, from Middle Dutch meercatte monkey, from meer sea + catte cat

First Known Use

1801, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of meerkat was in 1801

Browse Nearby Entries

Cite this Entry

“Meerkat.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/meerkat. Accessed 1 Mar. 2025.

Kids Definition

meerkat

noun
meer·​kat ˈmir-ˌkat How to pronounce meerkat (audio)
: a burrowing mammal of southern Africa that feeds chiefly on insects, is grayish with faint black markings, and lives in usually large colonies

More from Merriam-Webster on meerkat

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!