tenrec


Also found in: Thesaurus, Encyclopedia, Wikipedia.

ten·rec

 (tĕn′rĕk′) also tan·rec (tän′-)
n.
Any of various insectivorous often nocturnal mammals of the family Tenrecidae of Madagascar and parts of central Africa.

[French, from Malagasy tandraka.]
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

tenrec

(ˈtɛnrɛk)
n
(Animals) any small mammal, such as Tenrec ecaudatus (tailless tenrec), of the Madagascan family Tenrecidae, resembling hedgehogs or shrews: order Insectivora (insectivores)
[C18: via French from Malagasy tràndraka]
Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

ten•rec

(ˈtɛn rɛk)

n.
any shrewlike, usu. spiny insectivore of the family Tenrecidae, of Madagascar.
[1720–30; < French < Malagasy tàndraka]
Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.
ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:
Noun1.tenrec - small often spiny insectivorous mammal of Madagascartenrec - small often spiny insectivorous mammal of Madagascar; resembles a hedgehog
insectivore - small insect-eating mainly nocturnal terrestrial or fossorial mammals
family Tenrecidae, Tenrecidae - tenrecs and extinct related forms
tailless tenrec, Tenrec ecaudatus - prolific animal that feeds chiefly on earthworms
Based on WordNet 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. © 2003-2012 Princeton University, Farlex Inc.
References in periodicals archive ?
A kind of tenrec, a small, burrowing, insect eating mammal that lives on Madagascar and some other islands in the Indian Ocean.
However, Tenrec ecaudatus tenrecs, a mammal introduced from Madagascar, might also be a host of L.
Kenny Coogan, CPBT-KA, is a pet and garden columnist and has authored an ecological themed children's book titled "A Tenrec Named Trey (And other odd lettered animals that like to play)." He enjoys cooking and blending produce from his yard.
And, on Tuesday March 29 and Thursday March 31, there will be a chance to meet Rocky the Bearded Dragon, Kaa the Sand Boa and Jovi the Tenrec from 1.30pm to 3pm.
Dry forests also contribute directly to ensuring food security of forest-dependent communi ties: the consumption of Tenrec ecaudatus (Schreber 1778) meat in the dry forests of Menabe reaches 0.75 kg per person per month (Raveloson 2011).
He is a regular pet and garden magazine contributor and has authored a children's book titled A Tenrec Named Trey (and other odd-lettered animals that like to play).
Globally, many common names of mammals (as designated by the Oxford English Dictionary) have originated either from first nations, for example pika (Siberia), yak (Tibet), pangolin and orang-utan (Malaya), cheetah (Hindu), zebra and chimpanzee (Congo), tenrec (Madagascar), skunk and kinkajou (North America), puma, tapir and coypu (South America), and kangaroo (north-east Australia), or from their European conquerors, for example sheep (Anglo-Saxon), springbok (Cape Dutch), armadillo (Spanish) and hippopotamus (Greek).
After tickling the tapirs, the kids got to handle a skunk, a bearded dragon and a hedgehog-like cutie called a tenrec.