Anhinga anhinga
- noun
- /ˈæn.hɪŋ.ɡə ˈæn.hɪŋ.ɡə/
- Specialized
:
anhinga
- Unlike cormorants, the Anhinga anhinga swims with only its head and neck above water, looking like a snake.
Examples
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The Anhinga anhinga is often seen drying its wings after swimming in southern wetlands.
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Researchers observed a nest of Anhinga anhinga chicks beside the river.
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The Anhinga anhinga is often seen swimming gracefully in the wetlands.
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Look at that Anhinga anhinga drying its wings on the shore!
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The Anhinga anhinga can be spotted diving underwater in search of fish.
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Many birdwatchers travel to wetlands to see the Anhinga anhinga in its natural habitat.
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With its long neck and sleek body, the Anhinga anhinga swims elegantly through the water.
Synonyms
A large black water bird with a long neck and pointed beak that swims in swamps
A water bird that eats fish and has a long thin neck and a sharp beak
A large water bird with a long thin neck that eats fish
Surface Forms
Morphology
This form is a reduplicated scientific/binomial name (Anhinga anhinga) whose parts are identical and referential: each constituent denotes the bird. Knowing the headword 'anhinga' gives the learner the referent (a water bird), and the repetition is a taxonomic naming convention rather than an idiomatic or metaphorical shift, so the meaning remains directly derivable from the constituents.
Etymology
Anhinga anhinga is the name of a water bird often called the 'snakebird' because it swims with only its head and long neck above the water, looking like a snake. So the name helps you remember a dark bird with a long neck that looks like a snake when it swims.
