Illustration of tapir
plural tapirs also tapir
: any of a genus (Tapirus) of herbivorous chiefly nocturnal perissodactyl mammals of tropical America and southeastern Asia from Myanmar to Sumatra that have a heavy sparsely hairy body and the snout and upper lip prolonged into a short flexible proboscis
Examples of tapir in a Sentence
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Look for designs featuring either the toucan, the country’s national bird, or the tapir, the Belizean national mascot.
—
Mark Ellwood, AFAR Media, 30 June 2025
The results indicated that 40 percent of these species are now endangered, which is four times higher than in regions where monkeys and tapirs can act as seed dispersers.
—Monica Cull, Discover Magazine, 16 June 2025
One showed prints of a three-toed ungulate, possibly a rhinoceros or ancient tapir.
—Amanda Schupak, CNN Money, 25 Apr. 2025
One tapir repeatedly chased another male away from a watering hole, the study said.
—Aspen Pflughoeft, Miami Herald, 17 Mar. 2025
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Mark Ellwood, AFAR Media, 30 June 2025
The results indicated that 40 percent of these species are now endangered, which is four times higher than in regions where monkeys and tapirs can act as seed dispersers.
—Monica Cull, Discover Magazine, 16 June 2025
One showed prints of a three-toed ungulate, possibly a rhinoceros or ancient tapir.
—Amanda Schupak, CNN Money, 25 Apr. 2025
One tapir repeatedly chased another male away from a watering hole, the study said.
—Aspen Pflughoeft, Miami Herald, 17 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for tapir
Cite this Entry
“Tapir.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tapir. Accessed 19 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
tapir
noun
ta·pir
ˈtā-pər 
plural tapir or tapirs
: any of several plant-eating hoofed mammals of tropical America and southeastern Asia that are related to the horse and rhinoceros and have a long flexible snout, a very short tail, and short thick legs
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