/ ˈmɪəkæt; NAmE ˈmɪr-/ noun
a small southern African animal with a long tail, which often stands up on its back legs. Meerkats are a type of mongoose .
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WORD ORIGIN
early 18th cent.: from South African Dutch , from Dutch , long-tailed monkey , apparently from meer sea + kat cat, but perhaps originally an alteration of an oriental word; compare with Hindi markaṭ ape.