Definition of 'echidna'

Word Frequency

echidna in British

(ɪˈkɪdnə )

noun plural -nas or -nae (-niː)

any of the spine-covered monotreme mammals of the genera Tachyglossus of Australia and Zaglossus of New Guinea: family Tachyglossidae. They have a long snout and claws for hunting ants and termites

. Also called: spiny anteater

Word origin of 'echidna'

C19: from New Latin, from Latin: viper, from Greek ekhidna

Image of 'echidna'

Word Frequency

echidna in American

(iˈkɪdnə ; ēkidˈnə)

noun

any of a family (Tachyglossidae) of small, toothless Australasian monotremes with a long, tapering snout and a sticky, extensible tongue; spiny anteater

Word origin of 'echidna'

ModL < L, adder, viper < Gr, ult. < IE base *eĝhi-, snake > Ger egel, leech

Example sentences containing 'echidna'

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Farther on an echidna broke off its quest after ants, panicked at her approach. Colleen McCullough THE THORN BIRDS (1977)

Word Lists

Mythological creatures

Trends of 'echidna'

Used Rarely. echidna is in the lower 50% of commonly used words in the Collins dictionary

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Nearby words of 'echidna'

Source

Definition of echidna from the Collins English Dictionary

Relative pronouns

The relative pronouns are the words who, whom, which, and that. person thing subject object who or that whom or that which or that which or that possessive whose whose The function...