tapir

UK: /ˈteɪpə/ US: /ˈteɪpɚ, təˈpɪr/ ,(tā′pər, tə pēr′)

Inflections of 'tapir' (n):

tapirs

npl (All usages)

tapir

npl (Can be used as a collective plural—e.g. "Tapir have long, flexible snouts.")

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2026

ta•pir /ˈteɪpɚ, təˈpɪr/   n. [countable] , pl. -pirs, (esp. when thought of as a group) -pir. 

1. Mammals a stout, odd-toed, hoofed mammal of tropical America and SE Asia, having a short, fleshy nose like a pig.

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026

ta•pir  (tā′pər, tə pēr′), n., pl. -pirs, (esp. collectively) -pir. 

1. Mammals any of several large, stout, three-toed ungulates of the family Tapiridae, of Central and South America, the Malay Peninsula, and Sumatra, somewhat resembling swine and having a long, flexible snout: all species are threatened or endangered.

• Tupi tapira 1560–70

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

tapir / ˈteɪpə/ noun ( -pirs, -pir)

1. any perissodactyl mammal of the genus Tapirus, such as T. indicus (Malayan tapir), of South and Central America and SE Asia, having an elongated snout, three-toed hind legs, and four-toed forelegs: family Tapiridae

Etymology: 18th Century: from Tupi tapiira