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Definition of suricate

suricate

/ˈsʊr.əˌkeɪt/
sur · i · cate
Plural:suricates
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suricate Lexical Profile

suricate Game Scores & Validity

• noun

1

A small, highly social mongoose native to the deserts and grasslands of southern Africa, characterized by its upright foraging posture; commonly known as a meerkat.

Example

"The wildlife biologist studied the complex social hierarchy within the colony of suricates in the Kalahari Desert."

Photo by Giles Laurent / CC BY-SA 4.0
Synonyms
View all synonyms for suricate

Word Nuance & Usage

The term 'suricate' is primarily used in formal zoological contexts; in everyday conversation, the animal is overwhelmingly referred to by its alternate name, 'meerkat'.

• Rhymes for suricate

• Nearby Words

surgery
surgical
surgically
suricate
surinam coral snake
suriname
surliness

Word Origin & Etymology

From French 'suricate', which likely derives from the Dutch colonial term 'surkat', possibly originating from 'suur' (sour) and 'kat' (cat), or adapted from an indigenous language of southern Africa.

Usage Trend

Historical frequency of usage in published text.

180019102020
Data source: Google Books Ngram Viewer

Cite this Entry

Wordmom. (2026). Definition of Suricate. In Wordmom Dictionary. Retrieved Nov 5, 2026, from https://wordmom.com/dictionary/suricate
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