ARMADILLO
armadillo
(noun) burrowing chiefly nocturnal mammal with body covered with strong horny plates
Source: WordNet® 3.1
Etymology
Noun
armadillo (plural armadillos or armadilloes)
Any of the burrowing mammals covered with bony, jointed, protective plates, order Cingulata, found in the Americas, especially in South America.
Source: Wiktionary
Ar`ma*dil"lo, n.; pl. Armadillos. Etym: [Sp. armadillo, dim. of
armado armed, p. p. of armar to arm. Do called from being armed with
a bony shell.] (Zoöl.)
(a) Any edentate animal if the family Dasypidæ, peculiar to America.
The body and head are incased in an armor composed of small bony
plates. The armadillos burrow in the earth, seldom going abroad
except at night. When attacked, they curl up into a ball, presenting
the armor on all sides. Their flesh is good food. There are several
species, one of which (the peba) is found as far north as Texas. See
Peba, Poyou, Tatouay.
(b) A genus of small isopod Crustacea that can roll themselves into a
ball.
Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition