Alaska fur seal
- noun
- /əˈlæskə fɜr siːl/
- US
- Visitors to the Pribilof Islands can often spot the Alaska fur seal basking on rocky shores.
Examples
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Strict regulations protect the population of the Alaska fur seal from overhunting.
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Researchers are studying how climate change affects the migration of the Alaska fur seal.
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The Alaska fur seal is an iconic species of marine mammal.
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Many tourists visit Alaska to see the Alaska fur seals in their natural habitat.
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Researchers are studying how climate change affects the migration of the Alaska fur seal.
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Visitors to the Pribilof Islands can often spot the Alaska fur seal basking on rocky shores.
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Strict regulations protect the population of the Alaska fur seal from overhunting.
Synonyms
A large seal with visible ears and thick fur that lives in cold seas
A large seal with thick fur that lives in the North Pacific
Surface Forms
Morphology
The phrase is compositionally built from known words: 'Alaska' locates it, 'fur' describes the dense hair, and 'seal' names the animal, so the meaning 'a seal species with dense fur associated with Alaska' is directly inferable. This type of noun + modifier combination is common cross-linguistically and follows regular English attributive patterns, making it readily understandable to a B1 learner who knows the constituents.
Etymology
Alaska fur seal is named because it is a fur seal first known from Alaska, and people noticed its very thick underfur. So the name tells you it is a seal from Alaska with thick fur.