any of the spine-covered monotreme mammals of the genera Tachyglossus of Australia and Zaglossus of New Guinea: family Tachyglossidae. They have a long snout and claws for hunting ants and termites
Also called: spiny anteater
Word origin
C19: from New Latin, from Latin: viper, from Greek ekhidna
echidna in American English
(iˈkɪdnə)
noun
any of a family (Tachyglossidae) of small, toothless Australasian monotremes with a long, tapering snout and a sticky, extensible tongue; spiny anteater
Word origin
ModL < L, adder, viper < Gr, ult. < IE base *eĝhi-, snake > Ger egel, leech