edentate
/iˈdɛnteɪt/
adjective
- Lacking teeth; toothless.
- The edentate condition is common in some species of anteaters and sloths.
- The edentate mammal used its long tongue to catch insects instead of chewing.
- In the fossil record, edentate jaws are rare because teeth usually preserve better.
Synonyms
noun
- A mammal belonging to the former order Edentata, which includes anteaters, sloths, and armadillos, characterized by having few or no teeth.
- Armadillos are the only edentates that have a protective shell of bony plates.
- The giant anteater is a well-known edentate found in Central and South America.
- Edentates like the three-toed sloth spend most of their lives hanging upside down in trees.