echidna
Any of the small spined monotremes in the family Tachyglossidae, the four extant…Any of the small spined monotremes in the family Tachyglossidae, the four extant species of which are found in Australia and southern New Guinea.
» The echidna searched the forest floor for ants.
Meaning
1 sensesAny of the small spined monotremes in the family Tachyglossidae, the four extant species of which are found in Australia and southern New Guinea.
Ameisenigel, Schnabeligel, Echidna
ехи́днаjexídna
єхи́днаjexýdna
- a burrowing monotreme mammal covered with spines and having a long snout and claws for hunting ants and termites; native to Australia
- a burrowing monotreme mammal covered with spines and having a long snout and claws for hunting ants and termites; native to New Guinea
Examples
6 sentencesThe echidna searched the forest floor for ants.
The echidna uses its long tongue to catch insects.
The echidna and the platypus are the only extant monotremes.
Tom really wanted to see echidnas and wombats, so he took a plane to Austria.
Том дуже хотів побачити єхидн та вомбатів, тому полетів до Австрії.
ruТому очень хотелось увидеть ехидн и вомбатов, поэтому он полетел самолетом в Австрию.
An echidna has spines like a hedgehog, but it is not closely related to one.
Translations
9 languagesBy meaning 1
By meaning 1
By meaning 1
Origin
Coined in scientific literature around 1811. Probably from Ancient Greek ἔχιδνα (ékhidna,Coined in scientific literature around 1811. Probably from Ancient Greek ἔχιδνα (ékhidna, “snake, viper”) via Latin echidna. Compare ἐχῖνος (ekhînos, “hedgehog, etc.”). However, this sense is problematic (unless it is a reference to the ant-eating tongue). The name perhaps belongs to Latin echinus (“sea urchin, hedgehog”) from the aforementioned Ancient Greek term's alternate sense of "sea-urchin" (also "sharp points"), which Watkins explains as "snake-eater", from ἔχις (ékhis, “snake”), though it may actually be from Proto-Indo-European *h₁éǵʰis (“hedgehog, hedgehog-like animals”). The 1810 Encyclopaedia Britannica deduces thus the animal's alternative name as "porcupine ant-eater".
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Forms
plural: echidnas / echidnaeSynonyms
4 synonyms- a burrowing monotreme mammal covered with spines and having a long snout and claws for hunting ants and termites; native to Australia:spiny anteateranteater
- a burrowing monotreme mammal covered with spines and having a long snout and claws for hunting ants and termites; native to New Guinea:spiny anteateranteater
Word family
2 related wordsLessons for this word
1 lessons- A1Plural nouns — Because its plural is irregular