Indian mongoose
- noun
- /ˈɪndiən ˈmɒŋɡus/
- Indian
:
mangosta india
- The Indian mongoose is often kept on farms to control rats and snakes.
Examples
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The alert eyes of the Indian mongoose spotted movement in the grass.
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In some islands, the introduction of the Indian mongoose led to ecological problems.
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The Indian mongoose is known for its agility.
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Many farmers keep Indian mongooses to control pests.
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Farmers appreciate the Indian mongoose for its ability to hunt down pests like rats and snakes.
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With its keen eyesight, the Indian mongoose can easily spot small animals in the grass.
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In certain regions, the Indian mongoose has been domesticated to help control local rodent populations.
Synonyms
15
5.5
A small, quick animal from Africa and southern Asia that eats snakes and rodents
A small animal like a ferret that hunts snakes and is often kept as a pet
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning is fully compositional: 'Indian' indicates origin/association with India and 'mongoose' names the animal, so the phrase denotes a mongoose from India or an Indian variety of mongoose. This demonym + noun pattern is cross-linguistically common and therefore a B1 learner who knows both constituents will readily infer the MWE's meaning.
Etymology
Indian mongoose says it plainly: Indian shows where the animal comes from and mongoose means a small, quick animal known for hunting snakes and rats. Because people often kept it on farms to catch pests, the name brings to mind a little animal used 'to control pests'.