Definition

1. Adjective:

   • Having few or no teeth: Describes an animal that naturally lacks teeth or has very few teeth.
   • Belonging to the order Edentata: Pertaining to a specific, mostly obsolete, mammalian order characterized by having few or no teeth, such as anteaters, sloths, and armadillos.

2. Noun:

   • A mammal that has few or no teeth: An animal belonging to the former order Edentata, which includes toothless or nearly toothless species like anteaters, sloths, and armadillos.
   • A primitive terrestrial mammal: Specifically refers to certain mammals found in tropical regions of Central and South America that are characterized by their lack of teeth.

Usage Examples

• Adjective:
  • The edentate anteater uses its long, sticky tongue to catch insects.
  • Sloths are classic examples of edentate creatures, though some have simple molars.
• Noun:
  • The giant anteater is a well-known edentate.
  • Fossil records show that some extinct edentates, like the giant ground sloth, were enormous.

Advanced Usage

• Zoological Classification: While "Edentata" was once a formal taxonomic order, modern classifications often split these animals into separate orders (e.g., Pilosa for sloths and anteaters, and Cingulata for armadillos). The term edentate is still used descriptively.
  • The study focused on the evolutionary history of edentate mammals.

Variants and Related Words

• Edentulous (adj): Completely lacking teeth. This term is often used in human dentistry but can apply to animals.
  • The old dog was nearly edentulous.
• Edentata (n, proper): The former taxonomic order name for the group of edentate mammals.

Synonyms

• Toothless: Lacking teeth entirely.
• Anodont (adj, technical): Having no teeth; a more scientific synonym.

Related Phrases/Idioms

(There are no common idioms or phrasal verbs specifically for "edentate" as it is a specialized zoological term.)

Adjective

1. having few if any teeth
   • anteaters are edentate animals

Noun

1. primitive terrestrial mammal with few if any teeth; of tropical Central America and South America