Meanings
nounmegathere (plural megatheres)
plural megatheres
- An extinct, gigantic, ground sloth (Megatherium americanum) that flourished in South America during the Pleistocene epoch.
- A member of the family Megatheriidae
Synonyms & antonyms
noungigantic extinct terrestrial sloth-like mammal of the Pliocene and Pleistocene in America
Similar
Broader
Also see
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Ancient Greekμέγας“large”
- Englishmegathere
From Ancient Greek μέγας (mégas, “large”) + θηρίον (thēríon, “wild beast”).
More words from Ancient Greek
Full word history & related roots →Cite this entry
APA
megathere. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/megathere
MLA
“megathere.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/megathere. Accessed November 3, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “megathere,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/megathere.
Source: megathere on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.