Illustration of armadillo
armadillo
noun
ar·ma·dil·lo
ˌär-mə-ˈdi-(ˌ)lō 
plural armadillos
: any of a family (Dasypodidae) of burrowing edentate mammals found from the southern U.S. to Argentina and having the body and head encased in an armor of small bony plates
Examples of armadillo in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The property has walking trails and an onsite pond that draws songbirds, deer, and sometimes even armadillos.
—
Evie Carrick, Travel + Leisure, 22 Mar. 2024
The transmission mechanism between zoonotic reservoirs and susceptible individuals is unknown, but it is strongly suspected that direct contact with an infected armadillo poses a significant risk of developing leprosy.
—Robert A. Schwartz, Discover Magazine, 18 Mar. 2024
Observed in sleeping infants in 1953, REM was soon identified in other mammals such as cats, mice, horses, sheep, opossums, and armadillos.
—Carolyn Wilke, Ars Technica, 2 Sep. 2023
The public health agency still cautions people to avoid armadillos when possible.
—Michelle Marchante, Miami Herald, 28 Mar. 2024
Eating armadillo meat is not a clear cause of leprosy, but capturing and raising armadillos, along with preparing its meat, are risk factors.
—Robert A. Schwartz, Discover Magazine, 18 Mar. 2024
Inspired by baseball pennants, some have compared the ballpark’s design to the Sydney Opera House, while others likened the individual tiers to the scales of an armadillo.
—George Ramsay, CNN, 7 Mar. 2024
An armadillo, an opossum and even a rattlesnake are expected to predict the weather this February.
—USA TODAY, 1 Feb. 2024
During a cloudy Armadillo Day event held in Bee Cave, TX on Friday, residents gathered to watch the beloved armadillo make his weather predictions, giving Texans something to look forward to after an unseasonably harsh winter.
—Stepheny Price, Fox News, 4 Feb. 2024
Evie Carrick, Travel + Leisure, 22 Mar. 2024
The transmission mechanism between zoonotic reservoirs and susceptible individuals is unknown, but it is strongly suspected that direct contact with an infected armadillo poses a significant risk of developing leprosy.
—Robert A. Schwartz, Discover Magazine, 18 Mar. 2024
Observed in sleeping infants in 1953, REM was soon identified in other mammals such as cats, mice, horses, sheep, opossums, and armadillos.
—Carolyn Wilke, Ars Technica, 2 Sep. 2023
The public health agency still cautions people to avoid armadillos when possible.
—Michelle Marchante, Miami Herald, 28 Mar. 2024
Eating armadillo meat is not a clear cause of leprosy, but capturing and raising armadillos, along with preparing its meat, are risk factors.
—Robert A. Schwartz, Discover Magazine, 18 Mar. 2024
Inspired by baseball pennants, some have compared the ballpark’s design to the Sydney Opera House, while others likened the individual tiers to the scales of an armadillo.
—George Ramsay, CNN, 7 Mar. 2024
An armadillo, an opossum and even a rattlesnake are expected to predict the weather this February.
—USA TODAY, 1 Feb. 2024
During a cloudy Armadillo Day event held in Bee Cave, TX on Friday, residents gathered to watch the beloved armadillo make his weather predictions, giving Texans something to look forward to after an unseasonably harsh winter.
—Stepheny Price, Fox News, 4 Feb. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'armadillo.' 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
borrowed from Spanish, noun derivative, with -illo, diminutive suffix, of armado, past participle of armar "to arm," going back to Latin armāre — more at arm entry 2
First Known Use
1577, in the meaning defined above
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Cite this Entry
“Armadillo.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/armadillo. Accessed 19 Apr. 2024.
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Kids Definition
armadillo
noun
ar·ma·dil·lo
ˌär-mə-ˈdil-ō
plural armadillos
: any of several small burrowing mammals of warm parts of the Americas whose head and body are protected by hard bony armor
More from Merriam-Webster on armadillo
Nglish: Translation of armadillo for Spanish Speakers
Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about armadillo
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