Cuculus canorus
- noun
- Specialized
:
Cuculus canorus
- Unlike other birds, Cuculus canorus lays its eggs in the nests of different species.
Examples
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The call of the Cuculus canorus is a familiar sound in the European countryside during spring.
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Researchers studied the breeding behavior of Cuculus canorus in various habitats across Europe.
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The Cuculus canorus is often heard in spring.
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Have you ever seen a Cuculus canorus in the wild?
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The call of the Cuculus canorus can be heard echoing through the forests during the spring months.
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Like clockwork, the Cuculus canorus returns to Europe each year to lay its eggs in the nests of other birds.
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Many birdwatchers eagerly await the arrival of the Cuculus canorus as it signals the start of the breeding season.
Synonyms
23
4.4
A bird with a loud, clear call that lays eggs in other birds' nests
A common European bird with a loud two-note call that lays eggs in other birds' nests
Surface Forms
Morphology
Cuculus + canorus
This is a Linnaean Latin binomial (a taxonomic proper name), so its meaning as ‘the common cuckoo’ is not a compositional English phrase a B1 learner can infer. Given only the listed constituents—'Cuculus' as a genus label and an unknown 'canorus'—the species identity requires specialized or Latin knowledge, making the expression non-derivable from its parts.
Etymology
Cuculus canorus is the Latin name for the common cuckoo. The first word, Cuculus, copies the bird's 'cuckoo' call and canorus means 'singing', so the name paints the picture of the singing cuckoo famous for laying its eggs in other birds' nests.