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Definition of three-toed sloth

three-toed sloth

Plural:three-toed sloths
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three-toed sloth Lexical Profile

• noun

1

A slow-moving arboreal mammal native to the tropical rainforests of Central and South America, distinguished by having exactly three long, clawed digits on its forelimbs and known for its exceptionally slow metabolism.

Example

"During our canopy tour in Costa Rica, we spotted a three-toed sloth hanging motionless from the high branches of a Cecropia tree."

Synonyms
View all synonyms for three-toed sloth

• Nearby Words

three chute
three-lined corydoras
three-spot gourami
three-toed sloth
thresher shark
threshold
thrift

Word Origin & Etymology

The name directly describes the physical characteristic of having three digits on the front limbs. 'Sloth' derives from the Middle English 'slouthe' (slow + -th), originally meaning laziness, which was later applied to the extremely slow-moving arboreal mammals of the Americas.

Usage Trend

Historical frequency of usage in published text.

180019102020
Data source: Google Books Ngram Viewer

Cite this Entry

Wordmom. (2026). Definition of Three-toed sloth. In Wordmom Dictionary. Retrieved Oct 14, 2026, from https://wordmom.com/dictionary/three-toed sloth
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