Plural of aardvark; large burrowing mammals from Africa with long snouts and sticky tongues that eat ants and termites.
From Afrikaans 'aardvark,' combining 'aard' (earth) and 'vark' (pig), literally 'earth pig.' The Dutch settlers of South Africa named the animal for its pig-like appearance and burrowing habits. The word entered English in the 18th century as Europeans encountered the animal.
Aardvarks are one of the few mammals that start with 'aa,' which is why they're famous in word games like Scrabble—players often memorize them just to have an opening move! Despite looking like they should be related to pigs or anteaters, aardvarks are actually their own unique order (Tubulidentata) found nowhere else in the world.
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