# armadillo

> English word · Noun · IPA /ɑɹməˈdɪloʊ/ · frequency rank #41,512

## Definitions
1. Any of the burrowing mammals covered with bony, jointed, protective plates, families Dasypodidae and Chlamyphoridae in the order Cingulata, found in the Americas, especially in South America.

## Etymology
Etymology tree
Proto-Indo-European *h₂er-der.
Proto-Indo-European *h₂(e)rmosder.
Latin arma
Proto-Indo-European *-h₂
Proto-Indo-European *-éh₂
Proto-Indo-European *-yéti
Proto-Indo-European *-eh₂yéti
Proto-Italic *-āō
Latin -ō
Latin armō
▲
Proto-Indo-European *-éh₂
Proto-Indo-European *-tós
Proto-Indo-European *-eh₂tos
Proto-Italic *-ātos
Latin -ātus
Latin armātus
Old Spanish armado
Spanish armado
Proto-Indo-European *-lós
Proto-Italic *-elos
Latin -ulus
Latin -ellus
Old Spanish -iello
Spanish -illo
Spanish armadillobor.
English armadillo
Borrowed from Spanish armadillo, diminutive of armado (“armored”) in reference to its protective plates.

## Easily confused with
- **Amarillo** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/amarillo-vs-armadillo)

## Common misspellings (11)
`amradillo`, `aramdillo`, `armaddillo`, `armadilo`, `armadilol`, `armadlilo`, `armaidllo`, `armdaillo`, `armmadillo`, `arrmadillo`, `ramadillo`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/armadillo