edentata

pl. [Neut. pl. of Lat. eden tatus =toothle .] Zool .: An order of Mammals quite or nearly destitute of teeth. To be more specific, there are no incisor teeth, except in the case of a single Armadillo, which has one. In most cases also the canines, and sometimes the molars, are deficient. The order comprehends the Dasypod ide (Armadillos), Bradypodide (Sloths), and Myrmecophagide (Anteaters). Some have divided the last of these into three: Myrmecophagidæ proper, Manide, Scaly Anteaters or Pangolins, and Orycteropidæ or Aardvarks. 2. Palæont.: They occur in the Miocene, in the Pliocene, and onward till now.