[Elamur Dictionary](https://md.dictionary.elamur.ai/free/en/) · [this page in HTML](https://dictionary.elamur.ai/free/en/english/echidna/)

[dictionaries](https://md.dictionary.elamur.ai/free/en/) / [English](https://md.dictionary.elamur.ai/free/en/english/) / [E](https://md.dictionary.elamur.ai/free/en/english/e/) / echidna

# echidna

noun (an echidna, echidnas)

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

## Everyday

1. An echidna is a small spiny animal from Australia and New Guinea that eats ants and termites with a long sticky tongue. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/E/echidna/#m1)
2. It is one of the only mammals that lay eggs, together with the platypus. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/E/echidna/#m2)
3. In Greek myths, Echidna was a monster, half woman and half serpent. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/E/echidna/#m3)

### In the lessons

In science lessons it is a famous example of a monotreme, an egg-laying mammal; in Australia and New Zealand children learn it is a native animal. It is also called a spiny anteater. Phrases: «a short-beaked echidna», «a baby echidna (a puggle)».

### Examples

- An echidna is covered in sharp spines. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/E/echidna/#x1)
- The echidna curled up into a spiky ball. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/E/echidna/#x2)
- Echidnas lay eggs, but they are still mammals. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/E/echidna/#x3)
- It licks up ants with its long, sticky tongue. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/E/echidna/#x4)
- A baby echidna is called a puggle. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/E/echidna/#x5)
- We saw an echidna crossing the bush track. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/E/echidna/#x6)
- Echidnas live in Australia and New Guinea. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/E/echidna/#x7)
- \[48\] Echidna was a bloodthirsty monster, half maiden, half serpent. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/E/echidna/#x8)

### Note

Pronounced «ih-KID-nuh». Countable: an echidna. Trap: it looks like a hedgehog or porcupine but is not related to them. Mammals that lay eggs are very rare: only echidnas and the platypus.

## On Mova

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