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# armadillo

noun (an armadillo, armadillos)

«armadillo» in the English dictionary: everyday — its meanings, how the lessons use it, and examples, each with its tree on Mova.

## Everyday

An armadillo is a small mammal from the Americas with a body covered in hard, bony plates like armour, which digs for insects with strong claws. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/A/armadillo/#m1)

### In the lessons

In science lessons armadillos show protection adaptations: their shell is made of bony plates covered in tough skin. Only the three-banded armadillo can roll fully into a ball; others run or dig to escape. The nine-banded armadillo almost always has identical quadruplets. The name is Spanish for «little armoured one». Phrases: «roll up like an armadillo», «nine-banded armadillo», «giant armadillo».

### Examples

- The armadillo rolled into a tight ball. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/A/armadillo/#x1)
- Armadillos dig for ants and termites with their claws. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/A/armadillo/#x2)
- The name «armadillo» means «little armoured one» in Spanish. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/A/armadillo/#x3)
- Nine-banded armadillos usually have four identical babies. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/A/armadillo/#x4)
- An armadillo's shell is made of bony plates. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/A/armadillo/#x5)
- Armadillos live in Texas and South America. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/A/armadillo/#x6)
- The giant armadillo is as long as a child is tall. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/A/armadillo/#x7)

### Note

Plural «armadillos». Use «an»: «an armadillo». Myth: most armadillos cannot roll into a ball; only the three-banded ones can.

## On Mova

- [Trees and pragmatics of «armadillo» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/A/armadillo/): every meaning and example parsed by Mova, with its dependency tree and frames.
- [«armadillo» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/w/armadillo.html) on Mova free.