1. a large extinct ground sloth of the Pleistocene epoch, related to modern sloths but much larger in size
Usage: paleontology; often capitalized as a genus name (Megatherium)

Examples

• The megathere was one of the largest land mammals to ever exist.
• Fossil remains of megatheres have been found throughout South America.
• Unlike modern tree sloths, the megathere was a terrestrial herbivore.
• Scientists estimate that a megathere could weigh up to four tons.
• The megathere went extinct at the end of the last ice age.