any perissodactyl mammal of the genus Tapirus, such as T. indicus (Malayan tapir), of South and Central America and SE Asia, having an elongated snout, three-toed hind legs, and four-toed forelegs: family Tapiridae
Word origin
C18: from Tupi tapiira
tapir in American English
(ˈteɪpər)
nounWord forms: pluralˈtapirs or ˈtapir
any of a family (Tapiridae) of large, hoofed, hoglike perissodactylous mammals of tropical America and the Malay Peninsula: tapirs have flexible snouts, feed on plants, and are active at night