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Definition of meerkat

meerkat

/ˈmɪərkæt/
meer · kat
Plural:meerkats
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meerkat Lexical Profile

meerkat Game Scores & Validity

• noun

1

A small, highly social mammal of the mongoose family (Suricata suricatta), native to the arid deserts and grasslands of southern Africa, characterized by its broad head, large eyes, and habit of standing upright on its hind legs to keep watch.

Example

"The sentry meerkat stood perfectly upright on a termite mound, scanning the horizon for eagles while the rest of the clan foraged for insects."

Synonyms
View all synonyms for meerkat

• Nearby Words

medley
medway
meenmutty
meerkat
megaclinium
megadune
megaloceros

Word Origin & Etymology

Borrowed into English from Afrikaans, originally from Dutch 'meerkat' (meaning 'lake cat' or 'sea cat' to describe monkeys brought back on ships). The term was later applied by European settlers in South Africa to the native mongoose species.

Usage Trend

Historical frequency of usage in published text.

180019102020
Data source: Google Books Ngram Viewer

Cite this Entry

Wordmom. (2026). Definition of Meerkat. In Wordmom Dictionary. Retrieved Oct 12, 2026, from https://wordmom.com/dictionary/meerkat
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