Carcharodon carcharias
- noun
- /ˌkɑrkəˈroʊdɒn kɑrˈkeɪriəs/
- Specialized
:
Carcharodon carcharias
- The Carcharodon carcharias is often called the great white shark.
Examples
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The Carcharodon carcharias can reach lengths of over six meters and is feared by swimmers worldwide.
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The movie Jaws was inspired by encounters with Carcharodon carcharias off the coast of New England.
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Marine biologists study the behavior and migration patterns of Carcharodon carcharias to better understand this apex predator.
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Have you ever seen a Carcharodon carcharias in the wild?
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The Carcharodon carcharias is known for its powerful jaws and sharp teeth.
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Diving enthusiasts often seek to observe the Carcharodon carcharias in its natural habitat.
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The documentary featured the Carcharodon carcharias as one of the ocean's most formidable predators.
Synonyms
12
3.9
A very large powerful shark with sharp teeth that sometimes attacks people
11
2.9
A very large sea fish with a white belly that sometimes attacks people
Surface Forms
Morphology
Carcharodon + carcharias
This is a Linnaean binomial (genus + species), so a learner who knows 'Carcharodon' as a genus of large predatory sharks can infer the expression refers to a kind of shark. However, the specific common name 'great white shark' is not transparently derived from the two constituents (and 'carcharias' is undefined here), so the exact referent is not fully predictable from the parts. The taxonomic pattern is cross-linguistically regular, yielding partial but not complete transparency.
Etymology
Carcharodon carcharias comes from old Greek words: the first part, Carcharodon, means 'sharp tooth', and the second part, carcharias, was a word for 'shark', so the name shows the animal's big, sharp teeth and fits the great white shark.