What does edentate mean?
An edentate is any of a group of mammals—including sloths, anteaters, and armadillos—that were once classified together in the order Edentata, a name drawn from the Latin for "toothless." The word also functions as an adjective meaning toothless or relating to these animals. The grouping reflects the fact that many of these creatures have few or no functional teeth, though the label is imperfect: armadillos actually possess numerous small teeth, while anteaters have none at all. Modern taxonomy has since divided the old order into two separate lineages, so "edentate" today tends to appear in historical, comparative, or informal zoological contexts rather than formal classification. Beyond zoology, the adjective occasionally surfaces in dental contexts to describe toothless jaws. Derived from Latin dens ("tooth") with the negative prefix e-, the term belongs to the same family as familiar words like dental, dentist, and trident.
A mammal formerly classified in the order Edentata, comprising the sloths, anteaters, and armadillos, typically having few or no teeth.
"Fossil evidence shows that ancient edentates included enormous ground sloths."
Now largely historical in strict taxonomy, since Edentata has been split into the orders Cingulata and Pilosa.
Having no teeth; toothless. Also, belonging to or characteristic of the edentates.
"The edentate mouth of the anteater is perfectly adapted to its diet of ants and termites."
Standard regular plural, used when referring to multiple animals of this group.
"South American forests are home to a remarkable diversity of edentates."
Sloths, anteaters, and armadillos were once lumped together as "edentates" — literally the "toothless ones" — even though armadillos actually have plenty of teeth.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of edentate
Edentate derives from Latin edentatus, formed from the prefix e- ("out of, without") plus dens, dentis ("tooth"), essentially meaning "toothless." English adopted the word in the early 19th century as a zoological label for the mammals of the order Edentata. It shares its Latin root dens with cognates such as dental, dentist, denticulate, and trident.
How edentate is actually used
The term is chiefly used in zoology and paleontology. In modern taxonomy the order Edentata has been split into Cingulata (armadillos) and Pilosa (sloths and anteaters), so "edentate" now often carries a historical or informal zoological flavor. In dentistry it appears mainly in technical writing.
Easily confused with edentate
"Edentulous" is the standard clinical term for a person (or jaw) having no teeth, whereas "edentate" refers to certain mammals or things generally lacking teeth.