Meerkats

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A small, burrowing mammal from southern Africa that is known for its social structure, group foraging, and distinctive upright stance while observing the surroundings
2. This type of mongoose, found in dry habitats of Africa, is famous for its cooperative behavior, vigilance while foraging in groups, and playful interactions
3. A diminutive mammal native to southern Africa, recognized for living in cooperative groups and standing upright to watch for predators

Etymology: "Meerkat" is a plural form in the request, so the entry is "meerkat" itself, and its name is a surprise: it started life as a monkey. In Middle Dutch the word was "meercatte," literally "sea cat," and it was applied to a long-tailed monkey, the guenon, rather than to the small desert mongoose. The name then passed into Afrikaans, the language of South Africa's Dutch-descended settlers, where it was transferred to the animal we now know, a creature with no connection to the sea and no real resemblance to a cat. The "sea" part is the puzzle. Some have suggested the name was shaped by an Indian source, comparing Sanskrit "markaṭa," meaning "monkey," but the evidence points against this. A Old High German form, "merikazza," appears earlier than any plausible Indo-Aryan influence would allow, so the Dutch origin remains the most likely account.

Synonyms: suricata, mongoose