aye-aye

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aye-aye

(ī′ī′)

A nocturnal lemur (Daubentonia madagascariensis) native to the rainforests of eastern and northwestern Madagascar, having prominent ears, a long bushy tail, a thin elongated middle finger, and rodentlike teeth.

[French, from Malagasy aiay.]

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

aye-aye

(ˈaɪˌaɪ)

(Animals) a rare nocturnal arboreal prosimian primate of Madagascar, Daubentonia madagascariensis, related to the lemurs: family Daubentoniidae. It has long bony fingers and rodent-like incisor teeth adapted for feeding on insect larvae and bamboo pith

[C18: from French, from Malagasy aiay, probably of imitative origin]

Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

aye-aye

(ˈaɪˌaɪ)

n.

a nocturnal lemur, Daubentonia madagascariensis, of Madagascar, feeding on insects and fruit and having rodentlike incisors and long fingers.

[1775–85; < French < Malagasy aiay]

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Noun

aye-aye - nocturnal lemur with long bony fingers and rodent-like incisor teeth closely related to the lemurs

Daubentonia madagascariensis

lemur - large-eyed arboreal prosimian having foxy faces and long furry tails

Daubentonia, genus Daubentonia - type genus; coextensive with the family Daubentoniidae

References in periodicals archive ?

"It's also home to the amazing aye-aye and the exceptionally rare golden bamboo lemur, with just 200 animals remaining.

Exciting chance to walk with the lemurs in Lemur Land

The only known animal with disproportionally long digits is the aye-aye. The aye-aye is a lemur that uses its long middle fingers to fish larvae and insects out of tree trunks for food.

Scientist find bird foot with extremely long toe

Hira, a 10-year-old female aye-aye previously caged at Ueno Zoo in Tokyo, will be put on show soon after her arrival at Taipei Zoo Monday.

Taipei Zoo welcomes rare aye-aye

ANCIENT RELATIVESBoth Propotto and the Egyptian primate were ancient relatives of the aye-aye, which branched out into the lemur family tree.

Kenyan bat fossil finds new identity as lemur's ancestor

Last year, a pair of salty sea dogs said "aye-aye do" and got hitched at a pirate weekend.

Hundreds turn out for weekend to treasure

The three moggies, named Aye-Aye, Kane and Plankton, were rescued by carers at Cramar Cat Sanctuary in the last few weeks.

Neglected cats all have one eye on a loving owner

"The title is derived from a certain type of animal that sources its nutrition by means of scanning and tapping surfaces -- here one could think of the woodpecker and the aye-aye. The exhibition ...

Akbank Art Center home to 'Percussive Hunter'

Which of the following is a species of lemur native to Madagascar: Aye-Aye or Nay-Nay?

ARE YOU THE WEAKEST LINK?

The enlightening aspect of this book is that we are introduced to a little known creature, the Aye-Aye lemur from Madagascar.

Byrne, Richard: This Book Belongs to Aye-Aye

They also risk kidnap in search of the Northern White Rhino; seek out a gremlin-like creature, the Aye-Aye, that is thought to bring bad luck; and search for the large, gentle Amazonian Manatee.

Ace fillers

"Ambling about the park for the letter Aa approaches an Alligator allying with an Aye-aye and a host of affable walk-alongs."