pangolin
noun /ˈpæŋɡəlɪn/, /pæŋˈɡəʊlɪn/
/ˈpæŋɡəlɪn/, /pæŋˈɡəʊlɪn/
(also scaly anteater)
- a small animal from Africa or Asia that eats insects, and has a long nose, tongue and tail, and hard scales on its bodyTopics Animalsc2Word Originlate 18th cent.: from Malay peng-guling, literally ‘roller’ (from its habit of rolling into a ball).