any of a family (Tapiridae) of large, hoofed, hoglike perissodactylous mammals of tropical America and the Malay Peninsula: tapirs have flexible snouts, feed on plants, and are active at night
Origin:
Sp < Tupí tapyra, large mammal, tapir
See tapir in American Heritage Dictionary 4
noun
Any of several large, chiefly nocturnal, odd-toed ungulates of the genus Tapirus of tropical America, the Malay Peninsula, and Sumatra, related to the horse and the rhinoceros, and having a heavy body, short legs, and a long, fleshy, flexible upper lip.