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Glite Dictionary
suricate

suricate

9.9
A small social animal from southern Africa called a meerkat that lives in burrows and stands on its hind legs
  • noun
  • /ˈsʊrɪˌkeɪt/
  • South African
: suricata
  • At the zoo, the children enjoyed watching a playful suricate stand upright on its hind legs.

Examples

  • The suricate stood on its hind legs to survey the area.

  • The suricate is well adapted to life in the arid regions of southern Africa.

  • Unlike some pets, a suricate requires a special environment to thrive.

  • Many people love to watch suricates at the zoo.

  • At the zoo, the children enjoyed watching a playful suricate stand upright on its hind legs.

  • The suricate is well adapted to life in the arid regions of southern Africa.

  • Unlike some pets, a suricate requires a special environment to thrive.

Synonyms

meerkat
vssuricate
  • South African
5 3.2

A small animal from southern Africa that lives in groups and stands upright to watch for danger

emphasizes burrowing, daytime activity and being kept or seen by people
Suricata tetradactyla
vssuricate
  • Specialized
9.5

A small social animal active in daytime that lives in burrows in southern Africa

is the general common description used in everyday contexts
Suricata suricatta
vssuricate
  • Specialized
8.9

A small animal called a meerkat that lives in southern Africa

is the ordinary descriptive name rather than the formal scientific label
Suricata
vssuricate
  • Specialized
9.6

A small African mammal like a mongoose that includes the meerkat

is the narrower description for one particular species within that genus

Surface Forms

suricate singular
suricates plural

Etymology

Suricate comes from the animal's Latin-style name Suricata suricatta, a name used for the meerkat in southern Africa. So suricate simply means that small, daytime, burrowing mammal many people call a 'meerkat'.