armadillo

UK /ˌɑː.məˈdɪl.əʊ/ US /ˌɑːr.məˈdɪl.oʊ/ Syllables: ar-ma-dil-lo

Pronunciation

Noun A1 Beginner Neutral

A small mammal covered in hard, bony plates that can roll into a ball for protection.

An armadillo is a small mammal from the Americas whose back is covered with hard, bony plates, like armor. Many kinds can roll up into a ball when they are afraid, and others dig a hole to hide in. An armadillo has a long snout, strong claws for digging and a poor sense of sight. It eats insects, grubs and small animals. The name comes from Spanish and means little armored one.

"The armadillo curled into a tight ball when it sensed danger."

Example sentences

"The armadillo rolled itself into a tight ball."

Level A2
"An armadillo dug a hole under the fence."

Level A2
"We saw an armadillo at the edge of the road."

Level A2
"The armadillo has a shell made of bony plates."

Level B1

Look-alikes and common mistakes

anteater : An anteater has long fur and a long, thin nose. An armadillo has a shell of plates.
tortoise : A tortoise has a hard round shell all over. An armadillo has a band of plates that can bend.

Word family and forms

Forms: armadillos

armor armed armadillo shell

Word partners

Words and phrases that often go with "armadillo".

a nine-banded armadillo
an armadillo shell
roll into a ball
an armadillo burrow
a giant armadillo
armadillo skin

Origin

Armadillo was borrowed into English in the 1570s from Spanish armadillo, a small form of armado, armed, because of the animal's hard plates. The Spanish word comes from Latin armatus, armed, and the ending -illo means little.

Checked against: Wiktionary, the free dictionary, Dictionary.com.

How to remember it

Armadillo has armor at the start. This animal is the one that wears armor.

Test yourself

Which word fits the gap? "The _____ rolled itself into a tight ball."

Answer: armadillo

In your own words, what does "armadillo" mean?