mierkat
Noun: A small, carnivorous mammal native to southern Africa, belonging to the mongoose family. It is characterized by a slender body, a pointed face resembling that of a lemur, and having only four toes on each foot. It is known for living in social groups and standing upright on its hind legs to watch for predators.
The word "meerkat" (note: the standard modern spelling is "meerkat," though "mierkat" is an older variant) is used specifically to refer to this animal species (Suricata suricatta). It functions as a countable noun. - We observed a family of meerkats at the waterhole. - The meerkat stood sentinel while the others foraged.
- Collective Nouns: A group of meerkats is often called a "mob," "gang," or "clan."
- A mob of meerkats emerged from their burrow.
- Meerkat (n): The modern and most common spelling for the same animal.
- Suricate (n): Another, less common, name for the meerkat, derived from its scientific genus name .
- Suricate
The provided reference spelling "mierkat" is an older or variant spelling. In contemporary English, the animal is almost exclusively referred to as a meerkat. The definition remains the same regardless of spelling.
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a mongoose-like viverrine of South Africa having a face like a lemur and only four toes