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Definition of giant armadillo
giant armadillo
Plural:giant armadillos
giant armadillo Lexical Profile
CEFR
B2
Grade
6
Tier
3
Usage
Rare
• noun
1
The largest living species of armadillo (Priodontes maximus), native to the forests and grasslands of South America, distinguished by its massive front claws used for digging and its protective carapace.
Example
"Conservationists set up camera traps in the Brazilian Pantanal hoping to capture footage of the elusive giant armadillo."
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
The name combines 'giant' (from Latin 'gigas') with 'armadillo' (from Spanish 'armadillo', a diminutive of 'armado', meaning 'little armored one'), reflecting its status as the largest extant species in the armadillo family.
Usage Trend
Historical frequency of usage in published text.
180019102020
Data source: Google Books Ngram Viewer
Cite this Entry
Wordmom. (2026). Definition of Giant armadillo. In Wordmom Dictionary. Retrieved Oct 14, 2026, from https://wordmom.com/dictionary/giant armadillo