earth pig
/ˈɝθpɪɡ/
Word Rarity
Uncommon
Frequency: 4.09 in modern English
14
Scrabble Score
8
Letters
2
Syllables
8
Unique Chars
Meaning
noun
The aardvark.
Example Sentences
- "In the high grassy plateaus, with their isolated groups of bushy shrubs, we find, together with the earth pigs and armadilloes mentioned above, two kinds of gazelles (Cephalophus mergens and Calotragus campestris)."
- "The curious ant-eaters (earth pigs and pangolins) are probably relics of an earlier fauna, which have survived owing to their nocturnal habits."
- "It may be in only an earth pig, or it may be in a leopard, and, quite providentially for the medical profession no layman can see his own soul — it is not as if it were connected with all earth pigs, or all leopards, as the case may be, but it is in one particular earth pig or leopard or other animal — so recourse must be had to medical aid when anything goes wrong with it."
- "Aardvarks also eat ants. African natives kill aardvarks to eat. But these “earth pigs” are not easy to catch. Although they look clumsy, they can run fast. They can bury themselves in the ground fast, too."
- "Bahuchet (1985), who researched the Aka living in Central Africa, cites the earth pig, flying squirrel, and leopard as examples of avoided food animals."
Etymology
Regional Pronunciation
- American English: /ˈɝθpɪɡ/
- British English: /ˈɜːθpɪɡ/