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ta·pir

(tāpər, tə-pîr, tāpîr′)

Any of several large, chiefly nocturnal, odd-toed ungulates of the genus Tapirus of tropical America and Southeast Asia, having a stocky body, short legs, and a fleshy, trunklike proboscis.

[Perhaps French, ultimately from Tupí tapiira, tapir.]

(click for a larger image)

tapir

adult (background) and juvenile (foreground) Brazilian tapirs

Tapirus terrestris

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

Indo-European Roots

Semitic Roots

The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.

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