Badger
a plantigrade, carnivorous mammal, allied both to the bears and to the weasels, of a clumsy make, with short thick legs, and long claws on the forefeet. The common badger (meles vulgaris) is as large as a middle-sized dog, BADGER but much lower on the legs, with a flatter and broader body, very thick, tough hide, and long, coarse hair. It inhabits the N. of Europe and Asia, burrows, is indolent and sleepy, feeds by night on vegetables, small quadrupeds, etc. Its flesh may be eaten, and its hair is used for artists' brushes in painting. The American badger belongs to a separate genus.