Illustration of pangolin
pangolin
noun
pan·go·lin
ˈpaŋ-gə-lən 
ˈpan-
: any of a family (Manidae of the order Pholidota) of Asian and African toothless mammals having the body covered dorsally with large imbricated horny scales
called also scaly anteater
Examples of pangolin in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
All subspecies of pangolins are protected under CITES.
—
Tim Dunn, Boston Herald, 3 Apr. 2026
While some reports indicate a downward trend in pangolin trafficking since the COVID-19 pandemic, they are still being poached at an alarming rate across parts of Africa, according to conservationists.
—ABC News, 20 Feb. 2026
In another photograph, a pangolin orphaned by poachers is comforted with a blanket at a rescue center in South Africa.
—Charlotte Reck, CNN Money, 4 Feb. 2026
Elsewhere, officials seized over 1,000 birds in Brazil, pangolins in Laos, Egyptian tortoises in Thailand, gibbons and cuscuses in Malaysia, and shipments of hatching eggs in Australia.
—Moná Thomas, PEOPLE, 17 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for pangolin
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Tim Dunn, Boston Herald, 3 Apr. 2026
While some reports indicate a downward trend in pangolin trafficking since the COVID-19 pandemic, they are still being poached at an alarming rate across parts of Africa, according to conservationists.
—ABC News, 20 Feb. 2026
In another photograph, a pangolin orphaned by poachers is comforted with a blanket at a rescue center in South Africa.
—Charlotte Reck, CNN Money, 4 Feb. 2026
Elsewhere, officials seized over 1,000 birds in Brazil, pangolins in Laos, Egyptian tortoises in Thailand, gibbons and cuscuses in Malaysia, and shipments of hatching eggs in Australia.
—Moná Thomas, PEOPLE, 17 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for pangolin
Cite this Entry
“Pangolin.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pangolin. Accessed 8 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
pangolin
noun
pan·go·lin
ˈpaŋ-gə-lən
ˈpan-
: any of several Asian and African toothless mammals having the body covered with large overlapping horny scales
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
