American black bear
1
3.4
- noun
- /əˈmɛrɪkən blæk bɛr/
- Specialized
:
oso negro americano
- We spotted an American black bear searching for berries near the edge of the woods.
- American black bear
- North American black bear
Examples
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The American black bear is often found in forests.
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Despite its name, the American black bear can also have brown or cinnamon-colored fur.
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The American black bear is commonly found in forests across much of Canada and the United States.
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Did you see an American black bear at the park?
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The American black bear is known for its glossy black fur and is often spotted foraging in national parks.
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While hiking in the woods, we were thrilled to see an American black bear climbing a tree to reach some fruit.
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An adult American black bear can weigh between 150 to 600 pounds and is significantly less aggressive than a grizzly bear.
Synonyms
11
1.0
A medium-sized wild animal in North America with black or dark brown fur
A medium-sized North American bear that is usually black or brown and not very aggressive
A medium-sized bear that lives in forests in North America, usually black or brown
Surface Forms
Morphology
The phrase is a straightforward composition of descriptors: 'American' (from the Americas) + 'black' (dark color) + 'bear' (a large mammal), so the referent — a bear species native to America with dark fur — is directly inferable from the parts. This country + color + animal modification pattern is cross-linguistically common and follows standard noun phrase rules, so a B1 learner who knows the constituents will understand the meaning.
Etymology
American black bear gets its name from where it lives and its usual color. Early people called the animal a black bear because many were dark, and adding American showed it lived in North America, so today the name means a medium-sized North American bear that is often dark in color.