Illustration of armadillo
armadillo
noun
ar·ma·dil·lo ˌär-mə-ˈdi-(ˌ)lō 
plural armadillos
: any of a family (Dasypodidae) of burrowing edentate mammals found from the southern U.S. to Argentina and having the body and head encased in an armor of small bony plates
Example Sentences
Recent Examples on the Web Of all the photographs Lee took from 1983 to 1989, one without a human subject stands out as a perfect theme image: a dead armadillo in Waterproof, Louisiana, who seems to have been lightning-struck. 
Casey Gerald, The Atlantic, 14 Sep. 2022 Now humans catch the disease by hunting or eating armadillo meat. Quanta Magazine, 27 Apr. 2022 Vulcan’s pick aligned with a prediction from Loveland Living Planet Aquarium, where a tiny armadillo named Dahlia crossed a miniature field to select the Rams as her victor, FOX 13 reported. Jordan Miller, The Salt Lake Tribune, 12 Feb. 2022 And how do these women not know the difference between a possum and an armadillo? Kristen Baldwin, EW.com, 8 Mar. 2022 Its requisite adorable animal sidekick, the armadillo-pill-bug hybrid Tuk Tuk, is also a trusty steed capable of navigating Raya through chase sequences. Alison Willmore, Vulture, 5 Apr. 2021 Telling the uplifting story of a feisty young woman fighting for her homeland in the Amazon rainforest, abetted by Dillo, an armadillo, and Vaca, an oversized tapir, this is a highly theatrical proposition. John Hopewell, Variety, 30 Nov. 2021 The residents include a happy hippo, dragon, dinosaur, bulls, an armadillo and King Kong hanging from a crane. Robin Soslow, Chron, 26 Oct. 2021 The vote was declared void and a second election was held — this time the roadrunner and the armadillo were the top contenders. Timothy Fanning, San Antonio Express-News, 19 Nov. 2021 See More
Casey Gerald, The Atlantic, 14 Sep. 2022 Now humans catch the disease by hunting or eating armadillo meat. Quanta Magazine, 27 Apr. 2022 Vulcan’s pick aligned with a prediction from Loveland Living Planet Aquarium, where a tiny armadillo named Dahlia crossed a miniature field to select the Rams as her victor, FOX 13 reported. Jordan Miller, The Salt Lake Tribune, 12 Feb. 2022 And how do these women not know the difference between a possum and an armadillo? Kristen Baldwin, EW.com, 8 Mar. 2022 Its requisite adorable animal sidekick, the armadillo-pill-bug hybrid Tuk Tuk, is also a trusty steed capable of navigating Raya through chase sequences. Alison Willmore, Vulture, 5 Apr. 2021 Telling the uplifting story of a feisty young woman fighting for her homeland in the Amazon rainforest, abetted by Dillo, an armadillo, and Vaca, an oversized tapir, this is a highly theatrical proposition. John Hopewell, Variety, 30 Nov. 2021 The residents include a happy hippo, dragon, dinosaur, bulls, an armadillo and King Kong hanging from a crane. Robin Soslow, Chron, 26 Oct. 2021 The vote was declared void and a second election was held — this time the roadrunner and the armadillo were the top contenders. Timothy Fanning, San Antonio Express-News, 19 Nov. 2021 See More Word History
Etymology
borrowed from Spanish, noun derivative, with -illo, diminutive suffix, of armado, past participle of armar "to arm," going back to Latin armāre — more at arm entry 2
First Known Use
1577, in the meaning defined above
Kids Definition
armadillo
noun
ar·ma·dil·lo ˌär-mə-ˈdi-lō
plural armadillos
: a small burrowing animal found from Texas to Argentina that has the head and body protected by small bony plates