tapir

/'teipə/

Thân thiện

A tapir wades through a shallow river in the rainforest.

Definition

1. Noun:
   • A large, inoffensive, chiefly nocturnal ungulate of tropical America and Southeast Asia, having a heavy body and a fleshy, flexible snout: A "tapir" is a hoofed mammal, related to horses and rhinoceroses, known for its distinctive prehensile snout, which it uses to grasp leaves and branches. It is a shy, forest-dwelling animal.

Examples of Usage

• Noun:
  • The tapir is an important seed disperser in its rainforest habitat.
  • We were lucky to spot a Malayan tapir during the night safari.
  • The baby tapir has a coat with stripes and spots for camouflage.

Advanced Usage

• In zoological/ecological contexts: The term is used to discuss biodiversity, conservation, or animal behavior.
  • The conservation program focuses on protecting the tapir's dwindling habitat.
• As a point of comparison: Due to its unique appearance, it is sometimes used in similes.
  • With its long, flexible nose, the animal's face was reminiscent of a tapir.

Variants and Related Words

• Tapirs (n): The standard plural form.
  • There are four extant species of tapirs.
• Tapiridae (n, proper): The biological family name to which tapirs belong.
• Tapir-like (adj): Resembling or characteristic of a tapir.
  • The fossil showed a tapir-like snout.

Synonyms

• Ungulate: A broader term for any hoofed mammal, which includes tapirs.
• Perissodactyl: The order of odd-toed ungulates, which includes tapirs, horses, and rhinoceroses.

Related Phrases/Idioms

(There are no common idioms or phrasal verbs directly associated with the word "tapir" in general English usage. It is primarily a specific zoological term.)

Học thuật

Noun

1. large inoffensive chiefly nocturnal ungulate of tropical America and southeast Asia having a heavy body and fleshy snout