pangolin

noun

pan·​go·​lin ˈpaŋ-gə-lən How to pronounce pangolin (audio)
ˈpan-
: any of a family (Manidae of the order Pholidota) of Asian and African toothless mammals having the body covered dorsally with large imbricated horny scales

called also scaly anteater

Illustration of pangolin

Illustration of pangolin

Examples of pangolin in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web With its new settings and characters, including Oscar winner Ke Huy Quan as a pangolin leader of a den of thieves and Ronnie Chieng as a fish that lives in a pelican’s mouth, Kung Fu Panda 4 clearly aims to refresh the franchise. Frank Scheck, The Hollywood Reporter, 6 Mar. 2024 Joined by a kleptomaniac fox (Awkwafina), a brusque pangolin (Ke Huy Quan) and a trio of ferocious little bunnies, Po sets out to defeat a sorcerer named the Chameleon (Viola Davis). Amy Nicholson, Washington Post, 6 Mar. 2024 This trade threatens many endangered species—including tigers, elephants, rhinoceros, and pangolins. Marisa Garcia, Forbes, 18 Feb. 2024 Horseback ride with the giraffes, commune with curious meerkats at sunrise, track endangered pangolins with researchers, and indulge in a special dinner so unique that ruining the surprise here would be unconscionable. Mark Lakin, Travel + Leisure, 27 Dec. 2023 But the desert is for creatures more elusive still: wild dogs, cheetahs, aardvarks, brown hyenas, porcupine, and pangolins. Christopher Cameron, Robb Report, 28 Nov. 2023 Just as long as the jets don’t drive the pangolins away. Mark Ellwood, Robb Report, 25 Oct. 2023 Although poaching is not dealt with directly in the series, pangolins are the most trafficked animals in the world and are now on the endangered species list. Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 12 Oct. 2023 The undercover buyers then expressed interest in lots more inventory, including additional ivory, rhino horns and pangolin scales. Amber Dance, Smithsonian Magazine, 4 Oct. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'pangolin.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Malay dialect pĕngguling

First Known Use

1774, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of pangolin was in 1774

Dictionary Entries Near pangolin

Cite this Entry

“Pangolin.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pangolin. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

pangolin

noun
pan·​go·​lin ˈpaŋ-gə-lən How to pronounce pangolin (audio)
ˈpan-
: any of several Asian and African toothless mammals having the body covered with large overlapping horny scales

More from Merriam-Webster on pangolin

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