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Glite Dictionary
Erethizon dorsatum

Erethizon dorsatum

9.9
A large North American porcupine with sharp quills that protect it
  • noun
  • /ˌɛrəˈθaɪzən ˈdɔːrˌsætəm/
  • Specialized
translation icon : Erethizon dorsatum
  • While camping, we spotted an Erethizon dorsatum foraging for salt in the woods.

Examples

  • Biologists tracked several Erethizon dorsatum to study their feeding habits in winter.

  • The Erethizon dorsatum is well known for its sharp, barbed quills.

  • We encountered an Erethizon dorsatum near the edge of the forest while hiking.

  • The Erethizon dorsatum is often seen climbing trees.

  • Have you ever spotted an Erethizon dorsatum in the wild?

  • The Erethizon dorsatum is a large rodent that is known for its barbed quills.

  • Biologists tracked an Erethizon dorsatum to observe its unique behavior in the wild.

Synonyms

Canada porcupine
vsErethizon dorsatum
  • US
7.9

A large North American animal with sharp quills hidden in coarse fur that climbs trees and gnaws wood for salt

is the formal Latin scientific name rather than the regional common form

Surface Forms

Erethizon dorsatum singular
Erethizon dorsatums plural

Morphology

Erethizon + dorsatum

This is a scientific Latin binomial (genus + species) rather than a compositional English phrase; the specific epithet 'dorsatum' is not an English word here and the overall meaning (a particular porcupine species) cannot be derived from ordinary English knowledge of the parts. Even if a learner recognized 'Erethizon' as a porcupine genus, understanding that the two-word Latin name refers to a specific species requires taxonomic knowledge, so the expression is not transparently interpretable by a B1 learner.

Etymology

Erethizon dorsatum is a scientific name that comes from old words: Erethizon means 'spiky' and dorsatum means 'back'. So imagine a small animal with a spiky back — that is the North American porcupine this name describes.