Tapir

2 definitions found

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  Tapir \Ta"pir\, n. [Braz. tapy'ra: cf. F. tapir.] (Zool.)
     Any one of several species of large odd-toed ungulates
     belonging to {Tapirus}, {Elasmognathus}, and allied genera.
     They have a long prehensile upper lip, short ears, short and
     stout legs, a short, thick tail, and short, close hair. They
     have three toes on the hind feet, and four toes on the fore


     feet, but the outermost toe is of little use.
     [1913 Webster]
  
     Note: The best-known species are the Indian tapir ({Tapirus
           Indicus}), native of the East Indies and Malacca, which
           is black with a broad band of white around the middle,
           and the common American tapir ({Tapirus Americanus}),
           which, when adult, is dull brown. Several others
           species inhabit the Andes and Central America.
           [1913 Webster]
  
     {Tapir tiger} (Zool.), the wallah.
        [1913 Webster]

From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:

  tapir
       n : large inoffensive chiefly nocturnal ungulate of tropical
           America and southeast Asia having a heavy body and fleshy
           snout