Armada
collective noun /ɑːˈmɑːdə/ — A group of armadillos — armoured and unstoppable, like the fleet.
Definition
The collective noun for a group of armadillos, named for the armoured plates they share with the famous Spanish fleet.
Beyond the definition
Armadillos in armour, named after the largest armoured fleet in history — there's a quiet comedy and a genuine rightness here. The word conjures something grander than a small burrowing mammal, which makes both the animal and the name more interesting.
Origin & history
From Spanish armada — armed fleet (armado: armed, from Latin arma: weapons). The Spanish Armada of 1588 made the word famous in English. Applied to armadillos for their unmistakeable body armour — an apt and amused comparison.
Example sentences
Illustrative sentences for learning, not verified community posts or sourced quotations.
An armada of armadillos crossed the road with the purposefulness of small tanks.
She described the children's football team as an armada — small, padded, and impossible to stop.
Armada is a collective noun that treats armadillos with the dignity their armour deserves.
Synonyms
group, herd
Related words
Word in the Wild
See how this word appears in life, language and stories.
Illustrative sentences and imagined stories for learning — not verified sightings, interviews, or sourced quotations.
Word in focus
An armada of armadillos
An armada of armadillos foraged among the fallen leaves.
Armada is a playful collective name for armadillos, echoing a fleet and the animals' armour. This photograph shows four animals together, not a fleet or a coordinated march.
Image credit: XHUANX · CC BY-SA 3.0 (license)
Cropped to the animals, excluding the source's title and footer; resized and converted to WebP. Attribution is provided here.