meerkat

meerkat
meerkat (n.) late 15c., "monkey," from Du. meerkat "monkey" (related to O.H.G. mericazza), apparently from meer "lake" + kat "cat." But Cf. Hindi markat, Skt. markata "ape," which might serve as a source of a Teutonic folk-etymology, even though the word was in Germanic before any known direct contact with India. First applied to the small South African mammals in 1801.

Etymology dictionary. 2014.

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  • Meerkat — Meer kat (m[=e]r k[a^]t), n. [D.] (Zo[ o]l.) A South African carnivore ({Suricata suricata}, formerly {Cynictis penicillata}), allied to the ichneumons, having a lemurlike face and only four toes; called also {yellow mongoose} and {suricate}.… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • meerkat — ► NOUN ▪ a small southern African mongoose. ORIGIN Dutch, sea cat : the name originally applied to a kind of monkey, perhaps with the notion from overseas …   English terms dictionary

  • meerkat — [mir′kat΄, mēr′kat΄] n. [Afrik < Du, name of type of monkey, lit., sea cat] any of various mongooses of SW Africa, esp. a small, grayish one (Suricata suricatta) that lives in colonies underground …   English World dictionary

  • Meerkat — This article is about the mammal. For other uses, see Meerkat (disambiguation). Meerkats redirects here. For the 2008 British film, see The Meerkats. Lake cat redirects here. It is not to be confused with Cat Lake. Meerkat …   Wikipedia

  • MeerKAT — KAT 7 Organization NRF Department of Science and Technology[1] SKA South Africa Project Location Northern Cape, South Africa Coordinates …   Wikipedia

  • meerkat — /mear kat/, n. suricate. [D: lit., monkey, appar. = meer see (see MERE2) + kat CAT] * * * or suricate colonial species (Suricata suricatta) of the mongoose family (Herpestidae). It is a burrowing carnivore found in southwestern Africa that… …   Universalium

  • meerkat — surikata statusas T sritis zoologija | vardynas taksono rangas rūšis atitikmenys: lot. Suricata suricata angl. grey meerkat; meerkat; slender tailed meerkat; suricate vok. Erdmännchen; Surikate rus. суриката pranc. suricate ryšiai: platesnis… …   Žinduolių pavadinimų žodynas

  • meerkat — mierkat mierkat n. (Zool.) A South African mongooselike viverrine ({Suricata suricata}) having a lemurlike face and only four toes; called also {suricate}. [Also spelled {meerkat}.] Syn: meerkat. [WordNet 1.5] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • meerkat — UK [ˈmɪə(r)ˌkæt] / US [ˈmɪrˌkæt] noun [countable] Word forms meerkat : singular meerkat plural meerkats a small South African animal that has grey fur with black marks …   English dictionary

  • meerkat — [ mɪəkat] noun a small southern African mongoose. [Suricata suricatta (grey meerkat) and other species.] Origin C18: from S. Afr. Du., from Du., appar. from meer sea + kat cat …   English new terms dictionary

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