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
Examples of meerkat in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the WebThe puzzle of play The purpose of play — for children, monkeys, rats or meerkats — has proved surprisingly hard to pin down.—Big Think, 24 June 2024 The Phoenix Zoo opened a new Predator Passage exhibit in 2023, giving visitors a glimpse of African lions, hyenas, meerkats, leopards, Rüppell’s Griffon vultures and Red River hogs.—Shelby Slade, The Arizona Republic, 11 June 2024 The landscape is home to various animals including meerkats, the Kalahari lion, Cape cobras and gemsbok − a large member of the antelope family.—Bebe Hodges, The Enquirer, 24 Apr. 2024 Four curious young meerkats, born in February, are spotted frolicking in their surroundings at the Brookfield Zoo in Chicago, Illinois.—Fox News, 9 Apr. 2024 See all Example Sentences for meerkat
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'meerkat.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
Etymology
Afrikaans, from Dutch, a kind of monkey, from Middle Dutch meercatte monkey, from meer sea + catte cat
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